Just Betty
by monkaholic
Summary: Is she really just Betty, or could she be something more?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note (Updated): **Just a quick note to let you know that I started this story way back in season 1 right after "The Lyin', the Watch, and the Wardrobe," so now that it's been over a year since that episode, the story is no longer anywhere near canon, but hopefully the story will still ring true to the characters for you. All reviews are extremely appreciated.

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"This is ridiculous," Daniel said, exasperation creeping into his face. He had somehow found himself in a psychiatrist's office surrounded by ludicrously expensive paintings on the walls and exotic plants on either side of the black leather sofa that he was sitting on. Sitting across from him behind a desk was a middle aged woman with shoulder-length blond hair. She was inspecting him over half moon-rimmed glasses that had slid too far down the bridge of her nose and she was holding a yellow notepad in one hand as she tapped a black ink pen against her lips.

"What, exactly, Daniel, is ridiculous?" she asked him in a curious tone.

"This!" he replied, waving his arms around. "The fact that I'm here…talking to a shrink. I shouldn't be here."

"Then why did you come?"

"I don't know!" Daniel let out a long sigh, and then continued. "I guess I just… I've been under a lot of stress. I haven't really been myself these past couple of weeks. I've been finding things out about my family, things that they claim they were trying to protect me from."

"What sort of things?" the doctor asked.

"Well, for starters, my father had a love affair with the editor-in-chief of one of his magazines for more than 20 years. 20 years! Nobody ever told me about it."

"I see. And how does that make you feel?"

Daniel focused on the view of Manhattan outside the windows behind the doctor. He let out a bitter laugh and looked down at his fidgeting hands.

"Daniel?"

"I don't know," he said, looking back up at the doctor. "I don't know how I feel. Maybe…angry. I can't believe that he did that to my mother. And it turns out that it wasn't just _one_ affair, he had dozens."

"Does this surprise you?"

"No," Daniel said shaking his head. "No, not really."

"And why is that?"

"Because… I'm just like him."

"Hmm. How so?"

Sheepishly, Daniel replied, "I sleep with a different woman every night of the week. I don't have a problem with that, by the way. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun."

"But?" the doctor asked with a smirk.

"But," Daniel said through gritted teeth, "everyone keeps telling me that I need to change. That I need to grow up. Everyone who matters, anyway."

"Any people in particular?"

"My mom. Even my dad, if you can believe it. And of course, Betty," he ended bitterly.

"Who's this Betty?"

"Oh, she's just my assistant, it's not really important," he said with a small smile and a wave of his hand to brush the topic of his assistant aside.

"It sounds to me like she _is_ important."

"What?" Daniel asked with wide eyes and a nervous laugh.

"Just a minute ago you said that everyone keeps to telling you to change, _everyone who matters_."

"Look, she's just my assistant," he reiterated sternly. "She's Betty. That's all."

"I see," the doctor said, nodding doubtfully. "Interesting."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to thank you all for those wonderful reviews! I certainly wasn't expecting so many people to enjoy it, you have no idea how happy that made me! I wasn't completely satisfied with chapter 1, but at least it was a starting point. And all of your positive reviews really inspired me to continue it. So here's chapter 2, which I am more satisfied with than chapter 1, but I'll let you all be the judge on whether it's any good or not. I hope you enjoy it!

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"Well, that was absolutely pointless," Daniel grumbled to himself as he left the immense office building and stepped into his limo. "Take me back to the Mode building," he said to the driver.

_That shrink doesn't have a clue what she's talking about_, Daniel thought to himself. True, Betty was important to him as an _assistant_, but that was it. He didn't care what Betty thought about him and his hoards of women, she was just Betty. _Just Betty_. Daniel sighed and looked at the empty seat next to him. He had never realized how lonely a limo ride could be. He'd gotten used to Betty always being there by his side, chattering on and on about some nonsense having to do with her colorful family. He'd do his best to ignore her, of course, but it was always pleasant just to hear her voice, to know that she was there.

She was always easy to confide in, too. Whether they were in the limo or in the office or anywhere else, she was always willing to listen to him, _really_ listen to him. He often found himself telling her things he'd never dared to voice to anyone else. He never actually meant to, of course, it was just that things tended to pop out of his mouth when he was around Betty. He didn't have to keep his guard up when he was with her. He trusted her completely, which, when he thought about it, was pretty strange. He barely knew anything about her. In fact, he never bothered to take the time to get to know her, yet she knew all of his insecurities, all the little details of his life, and all of his bad habits. She's probably recognized some of his good traits too, if he even had any. He must, or else she wouldn't put up with him. She was reliable, and trustworthy, and… just Betty.

The limo pulled up in front of the Mode building and Daniel got out, thanking the driver. As he entered the building and headed toward the elevators, he spotted Betty in the crowded lobby talking to that weird guy from accounting. What was his name? Oh right, Henry. Betty was flashing the young accountant one of her winning smiles. She wasn't flirting, at least Daniel didn't think she was. He wasn't sure if Betty even knew how to flirt. But her smiles were always sincere, and from the looks of it, she must have liked Henry quite a bit. Was she blushing? Daniel let out a breathy chuckle. Then he saw Henry leaning in for a kiss and he quickly sobered. "Betty!" he shouted across the room. Henry and Betty jumped apart before their lips came into contact with each other, and both had that "deer in the headlights" look about them.

"Yes, Daniel?" Betty asked in a slightly panicked tone as Daniel approached her.

Daniel had no clue what had made him shout Betty's name to stop that kiss. He should have just gone on to the elevator and left Betty and Henry in peace to make out with each other in the front lobby in front of hundreds of people. Well, okay, maybe not hundreds, but it was still a damn big audience to have while she kissed some guy that was practically a stranger to her. Still, he should have minded his own business, but he just couldn't help it. So here he was, in front of a very embarrassed Betty, trying desperately to come up with an excuse for calling out to her.

"I need you to come with me back up to the office," he finally said. Lame excuse, but it was all he had.

"Oh! Okay, Daniel, I'll be up in a few minutes," she replied, giving him a dismissive smile and turning back to Henry.

Daniel grabbed her arm and with a stern face he said, "No, I mean right now. It's an emergency."

Betty's eyes widened in shock, and she turned her head to Henry and said, "I'm so sorry Henry, but I have to cut our lunch short."

"Oh, that's okay," Henry said, waving off her apology. "I'll see you tomorrow, right? I know this Indian place that we can try." Henry's voice was eager and his eyes hopeful, and to Daniel's chagrin, Betty didn't disappoint him.

"Um…yeah! Sure! That would be great!" She was beaming at Henry, her voice cheerful. Henry's face filled with an immaculate smile and he waved goodbye as Daniel dragged Betty into the elevator.

Betty was still grinning as she said, "So what's the emergency?"

"What? What emergency?" Daniel asked absently.

"The…one you told me about."

"Oh! Oh right. _That_ emergency." Daniel could have slapped himself. What was his problem today?

"There's more than one emergency?"

Daniel laughed and said, "No, no just the one."

"And—the—emer-gen-cy—is?" Betty asked in a slow voice.

Daniel scowled at her and replied, "It's uh…well the emergency is…it's…" The elevator dinged and Daniel sighed in relief. He smiled and said, "Oh look, it's our stop!" He rushed out of the elevator and left Betty looking utterly confused.

She followed him into his office and said, "Uh…Daniel? Is everything all right with you today? You seem a little…not all there."

Daniel sat down behind his desk and looked up at Betty. She was standing there biting her lower lip, looking innocent and concerned. His lips formed into the slightest hint of a grin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Once again I would like to thank everybody for your wonderful reviews! I also want to give a special thanks to LondonGirl27 who has been giving me so many helpful ideas and inspiring me to write more for this story. I also want to thank moonlightBuffy for her suggestion about using a better explanation for the emergency, and I hope that you don't mind that I used the coffee idea! Hopefully it works for this chapter. Enjoy!

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"Daniel? DANIEL!"

Betty's stressed shout snapped him out of his daze. "What?" Daniel asked.

"I asked if you were okay."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Daniel replied, pasting a smile on his face to reassure her.

"Right… So, what was that emergency that you mentioned that couldn't wait five minutes?" Betty asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I need some coffee."

"You need coffee? _That_ was your earth shattering emergency?"

"Yes! Look, Betty, I'm having major caffeine withdrawal, and if I don't get any within the next thirty seconds my head is literally going to explode. So would you please go and get that coffee for me? Can you do that?" Daniel finished condescendingly, an innocent smile gracing his face.

Betty glared at him and with mock enthusiasm replied, "Of course, sir! Can I get anything else for you, sir?"

"No just the coffee, thanks," Daniel said.

Betty stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to murder him with her eyes.

"What are you still standing here for? Go!"

Betty scoffed and then trudged out of the office grumbling. Daniel couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't meant to tick her off, but at least it made her forget about the foolishness he was exhibiting earlier. He didn't want to have to explain to her why he had shouted her name at the top of his lungs down there in the lobby. He wasn't even sure himself why he did it. He just knew that he didn't like seeing her with the accountant. She looked too happy.

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he was being selfish. Betty deserved to be happy. He wanted her to be happy, he really did. Just…not with the accountant. He shouldn't care really. It was no concern of his who she went out with. Truly. He didn't care. Honestly.

Betty stomped her way back into Daniel's office and said with a brittle smile, "Here's your coffee, sir," and then she slammed the cup onto his desk, causing the coffee to pool over the sides and spill onto Daniel's lap.

Daniel jumped up with a yelp of pain and started vigorously wiping his pants with his handkerchief. His crotch felt like it was on fire.

"Oh my god, Daniel, I'm so sorry!" cried Betty.

Daniel paused to look up at her with a fierce gleam in his eyes, then went back to cleaning himself off. "So it's Daniel again, is it?"

"What? Oh! Right, yeah, sorry. Really, I am sorry. Here, let me help you!" Betty said as she grabbed a towel and started towards his crotch.

Daniel looked at her sharply and barked, "No! No, I've got it under control, thank you. Just sit down."

"Okay," she said with a frown. Daniel could tell she was regretful. She wanted to help, to make right what she did wrong, but he didn't blame her. It was his own fault for making her angry. But, it wouldn't hurt to let her stew in guilt for a while; his extremely expensive pants were ruined, after all.

Daniel finished wiping himself off, then gingerly sat back down in his chair. Betty refused to meet his eyes, so he said, "Betty, it's okay, really, don't worry about it."

She met his eyes instantly and said disbelievingly, "You're not mad?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I deserved it."

Betty nodded and said, "Yeah, you're right."

Daniel stared at her in surprise, and then he grinned. He was rewarded with one of Betty's bright, sincere smiles that transformed her entire face. He laughed and she looked down at her hands.

There was a long, awkward moment of silence, and then Betty quietly broke it by asking, "So, Daniel, what was the real emergency?"

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, trying to keep innocence in his voice while he was panicking on the inside.

Betty looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and replied, "Daniel, you don't really expect me to believe that you rushed me up here just to get you coffee, do you? So what's the real emergency?"

Daniel sighed and focused on a tiny dent on his desktop. "Look, Betty, there was no emergency. I just…well, the truth is, I saw you and Henry in the lobby."

"Yeah…so?"

Daniel forced himself to meet Betty's gaze and explained, "So…I think you're moving too fast with him. I mean, didn't you just start going out with him? And already you're kissing him in public?"

Betty's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "What? You're giving me relationship advice? You? Daniel Meade? Mr. I have a different woman for every night of the week?"

"Hey! Come on, Betty, I'm just looking out for you. You barely know this guy. Didn't you just break up with that other one, the—the little whiney one…Wilbur?"

"How would you know, huh? It's not like you inquire about my life..._ever_, unless, of course, it affects you in some way," Betty replied bitterly. "And his name is Walter, by the way."

This wasn't going good. This was exactly what he had tried to avoid. "Betty," Daniel said in a calm voice, "I don't want a fight. I was just pointing out that maybe you shouldn't be so gung ho about this Henry guy. I just don't want you falling in love with the guy and then getting your heart broken when he doesn't love you back." Daniel winced at the look that she was giving him. Her eyes were cast with pain and disdain. He had said the wrong thing.

Betty's voice shook as she sat up straight and looked him square in the face and said, "I know I'm not beautiful, Daniel. I'm not classy, or rich, or thin, and I'm not the most intelligent or talented person in the world, but I'm me. I'm Betty. That may not be good enough in your eyes, but it's enough for Henry."

Daniel's chest felt like there was a metal clamp closing around it. He hadn't meant to hurt her, he never meant to, but he had always said the wrong things. He had to make this right. "No!" Daniel shouted. "Betty, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure, of course you didn't."

She sounded so broken, so completely defeated. He could see the well of tears in her brown eyes that she refused to let drop. He sighed and looked down at the papers on his desk. He picked them up and started sorting them, trying to look busy.

Betty rose from her seat and walked out of the office without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thanks again, everybody, for your wonderful reviews! I couldn't believe it last Thursday when Daniel called Walter Wilbur! I must have the same sense of humor as the writers of Ugly Betty! That was so awesome. Anyway, here's the next chapter. It probably won't be the most popular one and is a bit of a filler, but I had to write it to satisfy my wanting to be rid of Sofia. I hope that you enjoy it anyhow! Let me know what you think.

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Darkness was slowly making its way into Daniel's office. Just about everyone had left Mode for the day already, rushing home to their families. Betty hadn't though. She was faithfully sitting at her desk, waiting for Daniel to give her the "okay" to go home. She obviously refused to come into his office and speak with him, and every time he tried to go out to talk to her about what had been said earlier that day, she had a sudden bladder attack and rushed off to the bathroom. Daniel didn't know what to do. She'd never been this angry with him before. He wanted to talk to her, but she just wouldn't listen. He took one more look at Betty who was working diligently at ignoring him and he sighed. He pressed the intercom and said, "You can go on home now, Betty." 

Betty looked at him and nodded curtly, then gathered her things and left.

Maybe she just needed some time to cool off. She'd be back to her old perky self tomorrow. Daniel desperately hoped that she would be. His days were never easy when Betty was disappointed with him, but that afternoon had been downright excruciating. He could deal with her disappointment much better than her anger for some reason. Maybe because this time he had hurt her instead of himself.

Daniel glanced out the window of his office that was overlooking the busy streets of Manhattan. He saw Betty walking toward the subway in her hard-to-miss, marshmallow-esque, light blue coat. Her hair was blowing out of control in the evening breeze. Her hand went up to capture a lock and shove it behind her ear, then it looked like she was wiping at her eyes behind her glasses, then her nose. _Oh god_, Daniel thought, _she's crying_. He couldn't just let her leave like that. He didn't want to be responsible for her having a terrible night; he had already given her a horrible afternoon.

Daniel grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the office. He pushed the button to the elevator and waited, then impatiently began punching the button saying, "Come on, you stupid elevator, hurry up!" He heard the ding and the doors opened and he exclaimed, "Finally!" He was about to rush into the elevator but stopped dead in his tracks. Sofia Rheys was standing in the back corner. She looked up at him and grinned seductively.

"Hello, Daniel," she said in a soft voice, with that irresistible Hispanic accent.

All thoughts of Betty seemed to have vanished with those two words. "Hi, Sofia," Daniel said with a smile. His eyes moved along Sofia's body, taking in every inch of her. Daniel felt stirrings down below when he recalled that one glorious night that they had shared together. If only Hunter didn't exist. How was Daniel supposed to compete with perfection? Of course, Betty said that Sofia was insane for choosing Hunter over him, but she was just trying to lift his spirits. He didn't quite tell her all the details of why Sofia chose Hunter over him. If he had told her that it was because he wasn't ready to commit to what Sofia wanted, she probably would have agreed with Sofia. Betty kept saying that he was crazy for being so insecure around Sofia, but he just couldn't help it. She was the first woman he had met in a long time who had made him chase her. Most women just jumped into his bed with barely any effort on his part.

"Are you going down?" Sofia asked.

"What? Oh right, yeah." Daniel stepped into the elevator and leaned against the opposite corner from Sofia.

"Daniel, about the other night…"

"No, save it. I know why you didn't go home with me. You want a family, I get it. It's no big deal, really." Daniel shrugged, hoping that he looked nonchalant.

"Daniel, I really am sorry. I really like you."

Daniel looked at her incredulously. "Really? More than Hunter?"

"I didn't say that. Don't make me say that."

Daniel inched closer to Sofia. "Say it. Come on, Sofia. There's something between us. You can't just brush it off like that doesn't mean something."

Sofia pushed him away and said, "Daniel, please! I love Hunter, he loves me. We're getting married."

"Can you honestly look me in the eye and say that you love him? That you wouldn't leave him in heartbeat if I had said that I was ready for marriage?"

"It doesn't matter because you aren't ready for marriage, Daniel. Hunter is."

"What if I told you right now that I _am_ ready?" Daniel asked, his heart pounding a million miles a minute.

Sofia pressed her body against Daniel's and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. She looked into his hopeful eyes and said, "Daniel. Can you really see yourself married to me? Close your eyes."

Daniel closed his eyes and swallowed.

"Look at yourself in five years, living in the suburbs with three kids and a dog. Living the same old routine from day to day. Having to care about more people than just yourself. Do you look happy? Do I look happy with you?"

Daniel tried to imagine it and couldn't help but cringe. Something about the picture just didn't look right. He looked bored. Even with Sofia on his arm, the image wasn't a good one. He definitely wasn't ready for marriage. He opened his eyes and looked at Sofia. His disappointment must have been obvious.

She smiled at him and said, "Ahh, so now you see. It's not going to happen, Daniel. You're a fun guy, the one to call for a good time, but not the one to settle down with." She pulled Daniel's head down and touched her lips to his for a lasting kiss. The elevator doors opened. She caressed Daniel's face and looked longingly into his eyes, then said, "Goodbye, Daniel."

"Goodbye, Sofia," Daniel whispered. He listened to the clicking of her heels against the tiled floor of the lobby and watched her walk out of the building. He took a deep breath and stumbled out of the elevator. He sat down on a chair and put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. The image of Sofia walking out of his life would probably haunt him forever.

He needed Betty. Daniel sat up in an instant and gasped, "Betty!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much, everyone, for your reviews! I wasn't sure how well the last chapter worked with the story, but it looks like you all enjoyed it! I started writing the story before Sofia came onto the show, so she didn't really fit with the beginning, but I guess that I kind of changed that story anyway. So sorry that I took so long to update, Daniel telling Sofia that he loved her kind of bummed me out, plus lots of work for finals, so I wasn't motivated. But, I was hit with the writing bug today, and this is what came of it. I hope you like it! Hopefully the next update won't take so long.

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Daniel burst through the doors of the Meade building into the cool night air. The wind burned his eyes as he looked to the left and scanned the moving crowd for a puffy blue coat. He couldn't find it, he couldn't find Betty. He turned his head to the right and he instantly saw Sofia walking slowly with her head down. He had never seen her like that before. She was always so confident, always had a spring to her step. But looking at her now, Daniel thought that she looked tired. Defeated. Just like Betty. 

In Daniel's mind he was thinking that he should go after Sofia, that if he did he could have another chance with her. He wanted to go to her, but something was pulling his body in the other direction. The urge to make things right with Betty was overpowering him. He remembered the look of defeat on Betty's face and the heart wrenching effect it had had on him. Now, looking at Sofia, seeing her just as defeated as Betty, he didn't feel anything. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He felt regret. He had thought that he might have actually been in love with Sofia, but in that very moment he knew for certain that he wasn't. If he had loved her, then he would have gone to her. She would have had some kind of effect on him. But instead, all he could think of was Betty. How hurt she had looked, and how much he wanted to soothe her pain. Daniel stood there for a moment and watched Sofia's figure retreat into the night. He put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the side walk. At last, Daniel turned to the left and headed in the direction that he had seen Betty walking earlier.

After a few blocks, Daniel realized that searching for Betty was pointless. She was too far ahead of him for him to find her on foot. He pulled out his cell phone and called for his limo.

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The limo slowly came to a halt in front of the Suarez house. Daniel thanked his driver and stepped onto the pavement that led to Betty's door. He took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and walked up the steps to Betty's porch. The light flooding through the front window of the house caught Daniel's eye. He walked over to the rail and peeked in. Mr. Suarez was holding Betty in his arms, stroking her hair while she cried on his shoulder. Suddenly Daniel's resolve to talk to Betty tonight disappeared. Oh no! Mr. Suarez saw him! Crap!

Daniel turned around and started bolting down the steps, but he heard the door swing open and a deep, Mexican-accented voice shout, "Daniel! Daniel, you better get your butt back over here if you want to live to see tomorrow."

Daniel froze and closed his eyes. He slowly turned back towards the man on the porch and said with a smile, "Hi, Mr. Suarez."

Mr. Suarez glowered at him and barked, "What the hell did you do to my daughter? She's in there crying her eyes out."

"Yeah," Daniel said sadly, "I saw." He looked down at his shoes and said, "I actually came here to apologize to Betty." He looked back up at Mr. Suarez and said pleadingly, "Do you think that maybe…maybe you could get her to come out here and talk to me?"

Mr. Suarez crossed his arms, glared at Daniel for what seemed like the two most nerve wracking minutes of his life, and then finally stepped back into the house.

Daniel slipped his hands into his pockets and paced back and forth while he was waiting for Betty. He needed to say the right thing this time. He needed her to forgive him. He needed her to be his friend again. He just… needed _Betty_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for the reviews! They are much appreciated. Here's the next chapter, I hope that you enjoy it!

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Daniel heard the creak of the door as it opened and he quickly looked up, expecting to see Betty.

"What did you say to her?!!!"

Oh no, it was her sister, Hilda. Her voice was fierce, her head bobbing as she had one hand on her hip and the other waving around in the air with her finger pointing in his direction.

Daniel shrugged. "I—"

"Oh no, don't you shrug at me! My baby sister is in there crying her heart out and I know it was because of you. It's always because of you. Now tell me what happened!"

"I was trying to!" Daniel exclaimed. "Wait, she's cried about me before? Why? When?"

"Don't even try to change the subject, _Daniel Meade_," she snarled. "Whatever you did—"

Hilda was cut off by Betty as she pushed her way through the door frame and said, "Hilda, stop! Just leave it alone, this is my problem, not yours!"

"The second he hurt my sister it became my problem," she said softly.

Betty smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, but I can handle this. It's just Daniel."

_Just Daniel_. For some reason that bothered him.

"Okay," Hilda said. Then she glared at Daniel and told Betty, "But if he steps out of line again, I'll kill him."

Daniel laughed and rolled his eyes as he watched Hilda walk back into the house. Betty stared at the closed door for a long while, and then she finally turned around and faced him. Her nose was red, her eyes bloodshot, but there were no tears now. She was staring at him, stone-faced, her hair dancing with a soft breeze, her arms crossed against the cold.

Daniel didn't know how to begin. He had played his planned conversation over and over again in his head while he had been waiting for Betty, but now the words refused to come. He was afraid. He wanted to run.

But then, as if Betty could read his thoughts, her expression softened and she sighed. "What is it, Daniel?"

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

Betty nodded and gave him a half-hearted smile as she said, "Okay." She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

Daniel kept opening his mouth, but he couldn't seem to get his voice to work.

Betty rolled her eyes at him and shifted her weight to her other foot. She waited another moment and then let out a weary sigh. "Well, if that's all you came here to say, then I'm going back inside."

"No!" Daniel shouted when she turned to leave. "You know I have more to say."

Betty turned back to him and sat down on the top step of the porch. She patted the spot next to her.

A smile slowly crept onto Daniel's face. She was giving him a chance. She was already starting to forgive him. He just had to get this right.

Daniel walked up a couple steps and sat down next to Betty. The heat of her body being so close to his warmed him to his feet. He leaned slightly towards her so that his shoulder rested against hers. He took a deep breath and turned his head toward her. She was already watching him, waiting patiently.

"Betty… I didn't mean what I said about Henry. I mean, I did mean that you shouldn't move so fast with him…" Daniel looked down. "And I did mean that you should be careful about falling in love with him, but not because he'll break your heart. The truth is, he'd be crazy not love you back. Contrary to how you _think_ I see you, you're wonderful. You have a good heart…you're honest and loyal. You care about people when they don't deserve it. And you're smart, probably the most intelligent person I know." Daniel looked back at Betty. Her lips were quivering, the tears were fighting to flow down her face, but this time her eyes were cast with appreciation. Daniel smiled and said, "You were right, you know. You're not classy, or rich, or thin… but you're you. You're Betty. And that's more than any man deserves."

Betty gave him that glorious smile of hers and pulled him into a hug. He could feel her shaking, finally letting the tears flow freely. It was amazing how right it felt, holding Betty in his arms. He could hold her all night.

Betty chuckled and pulled away from him. She wiped her eyes and looked at puddle that she had left on his suit jacket. "Sorry," she said, trying to wipe the tear stain off of his shoulder.

Daniel laughed and grabbed her hand. "It's okay." He looked directly into Betty's bright brown eyes and a shock went through his body. He instantly looked away and dropped her hand.

He stood up and said, "Well, I—I've got to go." He rushed down the steps and opened the door to his limo, but before he got in he looked back up at Betty, who was now standing and watching him with a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course!" she replied.

_Thank God_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews! They are much appreciated, as always. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but it's a nice little taste of what's to come. I hope that you enjoy it!

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Daniel opened the door to his loft late that night and was startled by a tall, thin blond wearing nothing but a red bra and thong and a pair of high heels. She was holding up two glasses of champagne as she said, "Surprise!" in a seductive voice, with an excited smile gracing her face.

After Daniel came back to his senses he smiled at the blond and said, "Hey…..you." For the life of him he could not remember her name.

The blond giggled and sashayed over to Daniel. She expertly maneuvered her arms around his neck without spilling any champagne and kissed him for all she was worth. Daniel enjoyed the kiss, but it didn't really excite him. He found himself briefly wondering what Betty's lips would taste like. Probably sweeter than this blonde's. Oh god! Daniel pried the blond off of his face and gave his head a shake. He shouldn't be having thoughts like that about Betty. She was just his assistant. She was just Betty.

"What's wrong, Danny Bear?" the blond pouted.

Daniel cringed. He hated pet names, they were so disgustingly intimate. He must have put up with it from this one just to get laid. Daniel took a lasting look at the blond pressed up against his body and then removed her arms from his neck. "Look, um……cutey-poo. I'm not really in the mood for this tonight."

Cutey-poo put the glasses of champagne down on the counter next to her and rubbed against Daniel again as she whined, "Ooooh, come on Danny Bear. Since when have you ever not been in the mood?" One of her hands ventured to his lower regions.

Daniel swallowed hard and squeaked, "Since now." He cleared his throat and said more forcefully, "Since now!"

The blond stepped away from him like he had burned her and she put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "You're giving up this?" she said disbelievingly.

Daniel looked her up and down, saw that she was definitely a beautiful woman, but she didn't evoke any desire in him. Normally she would have, but at that moment all of his thoughts were on Betty. What was she doing now, who was she with, did he occupy her thoughts too?

"Hello? Daniel?" said the snippy blond.

"What?"

"I said are you really giving all this up?" she asked again, sweeping a hand down her body.

Daniel pursed his lips and appeared to be thinking about it. "Mmmm, yeah, I—I think I am."

"Are you serious?"

Daniel gave her a charming smile and opened his door wide, motioning for her to leave.

She scoffed, grabbed her overcoat, and said, "Fine! But I'm taking the champagne with me!" She ripped the bottle out of the ice holder and clutched it to her chest as she walked out of Daniel's apartment with her head held high.

Daniel chuckled and shut the door. He really needed to tell the super to stop letting random women into his apartment without his consent. The poor man was probably hypnotized by their beauty and did anything they asked him to do.

Daniel sighed and sifted through his mail that was on the table, then went to his bedroom. He stripped to his underwear and got in bed, and found himself imagining that Betty was right there beside him. AAAH! He had to stop with those thoughts, he had no clue where they were coming from. He turned onto his side and fell asleep holding a pillow in his arms. At some point in the night he turned over and held the pillow closer, whispering Betty's name.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them! Sorry I took so long to update, there was kind of a lack of inspiration since the show wasn't on. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The next day Daniel found himself at work early. For some reason that he couldn't fathom he had wanted to be at Mode the second that he woke up. He was jittery and anxious to see Betty. He paced back and forth in front of his desk, trying to make sense of his most recent thoughts about Betty. He expected she was just on his mind lately because they've spending so much time together, getting the latest issue ready to print. It was just natural that he would have unusual thoughts about her, nothing had changed between them. She was just Betty. He was just Daniel. They worked together, that was it. True, he called her whenever he needed help, even if she wasn't the best person to call for advice, and yes, she was the only person that he really confided in, and yes, he enjoyed spending time with her more than most other women, even Sofia, but that's because she was his friend. His best friend. Okay, so maybe that therapist had been right. Betty wasn't just his assistant, she was important to him.

"Hi, Daniel!" said a cheery voice that broke into his thoughts. "I didn't know that you'd be here so early!"

Daniel stopped pacing and set his eyes on Betty. Giddiness seemed to wash over him at the sight of her standing there with her brilliant smile, holding a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. "Yeah," he said, "I…had to get some work done."

Betty nodded her head and looked at his desk, then frowned. "What exactly were you working on?"

Daniel looked back at his desk and cursed to himself, seeing that the desktop was completely empty. "Um…well…" Daniel struggled to come up with an explanation for a few moments, and then finally said, "I just had to make some final notes in The Book…which I did… and just—just before you got here I sent it off to the printing department."

"Oh, okay!" Betty said with a smile. She walked over to his desk and placed the coffee and bagel down. Then she turned back to face him and smoothed her skirt. "Daniel," she said timidly, "is there any way that I could maybe have an extra half hour for lunch?"

"Sure, why?"

Betty blushed and looked down, smiling as she said, "I have a lunch date with Henry."

All the giddiness drained out of Daniel as fast as it had come. His jaw clenched involuntarily and he looked away from Betty. "Well, now that I think about it, we may have to work through lunch."

Betty's head shot up in surprise and she said, "WHAT?"

Daniel took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. His face was hot and there was a tightness in his stomach. He kept seeing Henry and Betty leaning towards each other down in the lobby over and over again in his head. "I said, we may have to work through lunch," he grunted.

"But…come on, Daniel! I bumped into Henry this morning and he was really excited, he said this was going to be a special lunch. Please, Daniel, don't make me miss it."

Daniel looked into Betty's pleading eyes and he felt his resolve melting. As much as he hated the thought of her spending more time with Henry, he hated disappointing her even more. He looked down and in a quiet voice he said, "Okay…you can go."

Betty smiled and quickly gathered Daniel into a happy hug saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Daniel closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her rose shampoo before she pulled away from him much too soon. He opened his eyes and saw that she was still gazing at his face, a small smile playing across her lips. They locked eyes, and once again Daniel felt that electric shock go through his body, only this time he didn't run away. His heart began to beat faster as he saw her leaning into him, and just as he started to lean towards her, she moved her head slightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Daniel," she said, and walked out of the office, smiling brighter than ever.

Daniel sat down at his desk and let out a long, shaky breath. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. _Idiot, idiot!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for all the reviews, I appreciate each and every one of them! I'm glad to know that people are sticking with this story, especially since it's taking me so long to write it. Anyway, a lot has happened on the show since my last update, so the stuff with Sofia is not going to resemble the show at all, and of course the little tidbit about the masked woman that we found out in the last episode won't be in here either. By the way, I loved the latest episode, In or Out! So many sweet moments between Betty and Daniel, especially on the bridge. "You're better than any model, Betty, much better." sigh Anyway, here's the next chapter to my story, it's quite long, hopefully you'll get all the way through it without being bored to tears.

* * *

Daniel sat in his chair and stewed in self loathing for most of the morning, sneaking a few peeks at Betty every now and then, not really getting any work done. He had given her a long list of duties to complete, hoping that it would spill over into her lunch hour, but she was just finishing up with it and looking mighty pleased with herself. Daniel grimaced as he saw her approaching his office.

"Hey, Daniel!" Betty said brightly. "Here's the paperwork that you asked me to do. If you don't mind, I'm off to lunch now. Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

Still frowning Daniel said, "No thanks. I think I'm going out for lunch today. Tell Amanda to cover the phones."

"Sure thing, Boss," Betty said with a smile. She hesitated, her smile faltering for a moment as she said, "Going out with anyone special? Sofia perhaps?"

Daniel wasn't sure if it was just his hopeful imagination, but it looked like Betty was disappointed that he might have a date. He thought about lying, just to see if she would be jealous, but he knew she would never show it. She only wanted him to be happy, and if she thought that Sofia would make him happy, she would probably go to the ends of the earth to make that relationship happen. But he didn't want Sofia, not anymore. He decided to tell her the truth.

"Actually, the thing with Sofia is over. She chose Hunter, not me, and… I actually think that was for the best."

"What? When did this happen?" Betty asked, shocked.

"Last night. I met her in the elevator when I was on my way down to catch you. She basically told me that the thing between us was over. She made me see that she wasn't the woman for me," Daniel said, smiling ruefully.

"Oh…" Betty whispered. "You didn't even mention it when you talked to me."

Daniel smiled innocently and shrugged, saying, "I forgot. The moment I saw you everyone else slipped my mind."

Betty blushed and looked down, shaking her head. She looked back up at him with a smile and started moving towards the door saying, "Well, I'll see you later, I've got to go meet Henry."

Daniel nodded and watched her go, keeping his eye on her until he couldn't see her anymore. He rolled in his chair over to the window and waited. Finally he saw Betty and Henry emerge from below walking arm in arm toward the Indian place across the street. He rolled back over to his desk and sighed, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him. He looked down at his watch, then stood up and grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and put it on. He smiled to himself and said, "Looks like I have a taste for Indian food today."

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Daniel walked into the crowded little restaurant and caught whiffs of chicken curry and flowery incense. He looked around, trying to spot Betty and Henry, and almost ran into a waiter carrying a large tray of food. The waiter gave him an exasperated look and Daniel smiled apologetically and muttered, "Sorry." The hostess came up to him and said that there would be a half hour wait for a table. Daniel gazed around the restaurant once more and spotted Betty. He pointed her out to the hostess and said, "Actually, I'm meeting my friends for lunch, looks like they already got a table." The hostess smiled and let him go past her.

Daniel took slow, apprehensive steps to Betty's table, telling himself that he should turn back and leave her alone, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Betty and Henry were in deep conversation about the circumference of the earth and didn't notice Daniel standing there for a moment. Then Betty looked up and gasped, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Oh! Daniel, what are you doing here? I thought you were going out to lunch today."

"I am out to lunch, Betty," Daniel said with an amused smile.

"Oh! Oh, right! Yeah, I guess you are!" She finally gave Daniel a greeting smile, but then looked at him suspiciously as she said, "What a coincidence that you chose the exact same restaurant as me and Henry."

Daniel shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Great minds think alike." He looked around him and saw an empty chair and pulled it over to the table. He sat down and smiled brightly at Betty.

"Yes…" Betty said through clenched teeth, "yes, they certainly do."

"Hi, Henry!" Daniel said, holding out his hand to Betty's lunch date. Henry gave him an unsure smile and shook his hand. "Great to see you again."

"Yeah," said Henry politely, "yeah, great to see you again, too, Mr. Meade." Henry looked back at Betty with a questioning look.

"Um… Daniel, don't you want your own table?" Betty asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"Not really," Daniel said, smirking at Betty's annoyance. "I felt like eating with a friend."

Betty's face softened at his words, and she rolled her eyes. She gave Henry an apologetic shrug and smiled at Daniel, then looked down at her menu. The rest of the lunch was spent in friendly conversation between Daniel and Betty, Henry saying something every now and then but mostly just nodding his head and smiling.

When the three of them got back to the Meade building, Betty put her hand on Daniel's arm and squeezed, giving him a look to urge him on ahead. Daniel nodded and went to stand in a small crowd of people waiting for the elevators to descend to the lobby. He made sure he was able to keep an eye on Betty and Henry without being obvious.

Betty smiled shyly at Henry as he said something to her, and Daniel couldn't help but scoff and roll his eyes. Then, to Daniel's astonishment, Betty's smile faded and was replaced with a look of incredulity. Henry was looking nervous and regretful, and he glanced at Daniel with a hint of anger. Daniel quickly snapped his head back towards the elevator, his heart pounding. When he thought it was safe to look back, he saw Betty's lip quivering. Daniel could see Henry mouth the words "I'm sorry," and then lean in and kiss Betty's cheek. He waved goodbye to her, looking sad but determined, and headed off to the stairs. Betty turned around, looking hurt and confused, her hands on her head with her fingers grazing her scalp.

Daniel rushed over to Betty and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He said nothing, just guided her to the open elevator that had just arrived. People looked at Betty curiously, and Daniel just held her closer. As the elevator crept higher and higher, it became less crowded, until finally it was just Daniel and Betty. He looked down at her and pulled her hands away from her face. She stood there staring straight ahead, still looking lost. Daniel put a hand under her chin and urged Betty to look at him. He stared into her bleary eyes and caressed her chin with his thumb. Then, finally, the tears started to fall and she latched onto Daniel, sobbing into his chest as he held her soft, shaking form and gently stroked her hair.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for all the reviews, I appreciate each and every one of them! Sorry for the long delay with the update, hit a bit of writer's block. Hopefully this next chapter was worth the wait!

* * *

Daniel was elated. He hated himself for it, but he couldn't help it. Daniel loved the fact that for once _he_ could be the hero, he could be the one comforting Betty instead of the other way around. For once he could really be there for her and be a true friend. He hated the fact that she was heartbroken, but he could fix that, he knew he could.

Betty's sobs had turned into quiet whimpers, and then after a few sniffles her body stopped shaking. She shifted her head against Daniel's chest and pulled him closer, letting out a shaky breath. Daniel rubbed her back and rested his cheek on the top of her head. The storm was over now. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of her warm body pressed up against his. It felt so undeniably right. In that moment Daniel realized that he would never be able to hold another woman ever again, not like this. Once you discover perfection, it's impossible to go back to the mediocre. "Betty…" Daniel whispered.

He felt Betty's grip on him loosen and he pulled back just enough to lift her head from his chest. He gently brushed her hair away from her face and his hands lingered on her cheeks. He wiped away a few stray tears with his thumbs and guided her to look into his eyes. She smiled painfully and brought her hand up to the back of one of his, then closed her eyes and slowly moved her head so that her lips grazed the patch of skin just under his thumb. Daniel's breath caught in his throat and just about every nerve in his body came alive. But then Betty let go of his hand and fully pulled away from him. She had wiped her eyes one last time and straightened her clothes and hair before Daniel even recovered from the shock that she had just given his senses. The elevator doors opened and she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked out like nothing had happened. Perplexed by Betty's resilience, and absolutely afraid of what his feelings for Betty were turning into, he quickly walked out of the elevator and went straight into his office without looking at Betty as he passed her.

---------------------------------------------------

Once again the evening sun was making its way into Daniel's office. He had thrown himself into his work in order to forget what had happened in the elevator. But every time that he caught a glimpse of Betty out of the corner of his eye he was reminded of how much he wanted her. He could feel the heat of her on his skin, he could smell her perfume in the air, he could feel her lips moving against his palm, and he could feel her hair falling between his fingers. He wasn't quite sure when it had happened, when Betty stopped being, "just Betty," but he was definitely aware now that she was so much more. It didn't make any sense, she was the exact opposite of the type of woman that he went for, but maybe that was the reason. Maybe he was tired of the stick-thin, vain, self-obsessed women who had absolutely nothing going for them except for their beauty, which, in most cases, wasn't even unique. Models were all the same to him, and women like Amanda, well, he honestly couldn't tell one Amanda from another. He wanted more than that superficial world had to offer, he wanted something real, something different, something truly beautiful in its own right. He wanted Betty.

Daniel looked up from his desk and spied Betty typing away at her computer, her face drawn down into a frown, her eyes missing that brightness that he was so accustomed to seeing. She was still hurting. Daniel scratched the back of his head, then looked at his watch. Six o'clock, definitely time to call it a night. He gathered his things and exited his office, stopping at Betty's desk.

"Come on," he said. "Get your things, you're coming to dinner with me."

Betty sighed, and while still looking at her computer as she typed she said, "Daniel, I'm not really in the mood tonight."

Unperturbed, Daniel calmly replied, "Betty. Stop working and come to dinner with me. You need someone to talk to."

Betty tore her eyes away from the computer and looked up at him. "Daniel, honestly, I'm really not in the mood. I just want to go home, eat a carton of ice cream, then curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep and forget that this day ever happened."

Daniel leaned down on Betty's desk so that he was eye level with her and firmly said, "Betty, come to dinner with me."

Betty rolled her eyes and said testily, "Okay! Fine! Let's go to dinner!"

A grin of triumph slowly spread across Daniel's face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for all the reviews, I love them! This next chapter is pretty long, probably the longest chapter I've ever written. I was going to keep going, but felt that where I ended this chapter was a good place to stop, or else it would have gone on forever. Hopefully it won't take me too long to write the next chapter since I know where I want to take it! By the way, thanks to the suggestion of one of my faithful readers, Alicia, I've decided to add a dancing scene to the story (hence the reason why they end up where they do for dinner).

* * *

"Aren't we taking the limo?" Betty inquired after she and Daniel exited the Meade building and the cool, evening air brushed over their faces.

Daniel looked down at Betty, put his hands in his pockets, then shrugged and boyishly smiled at her as he said, "I thought we could walk. It's a nice night."

Betty hesitated, looking at Daniel with a frown as if she was trying to figure him out, but then her lips broke into a half smile and she linked her arm with his. "Okay," she said, "let's walk."

Daniel couldn't keep the ridiculous grin from invading his face. He let out a tiny chuckle and started walking arm in arm with Betty Suarez towards the amazing Italian restaurant that was a few blocks away. He felt like he was on top of the world with Betty right next to him. He was giddy, absolutely giddy. There was no other word for it. Betty was blindly following him, entrusting him with the task of mending her broken heart…she trusted him. She believed in him no matter what. This knowledge made Daniel smile a little brighter and walk a little taller. He chanced a glance down at Betty and saw that she had the same carefree expression on her face that he did. She was practically hugging Daniel's arm as she looked around and enjoyed the sights of the city. Daniel chuckled again and looked straight ahead, then guided Betty into the restaurant.

The place was packed. Waiters and waitresses dressed in tuxedo shirts and black vests and pants were bustling from table to table, narrowly missing each other as they passed one another. There was a banquet hall off to the left and Daniel could hear the laughter and music radiating from the closed off room. There must have been a wedding reception going on. Betty looked up at him when the realization dawned on her and she gave him one of those brilliant smiles of hers.

"I love wedding receptions, don't you?" Betty asked excitedly.

Daniel smiled at her and laughed bitterly. He shook his head as he said, "No."

"What?" she asked with wide eyes. "How could you not love wedding receptions? First of all, there's free food, I mean, how could anyone pass that up? Then, of course, there's the free booze."

Daniel let out a laugh and shook his head.

Betty looked towards the banquet room with longing. "People are always so happy at wedding receptions. Once the ceremony is over everyone is so relieved that everything went the way it was supposed to; it gives them more reason to celebrate. The whole family is all together, love is surrounding the room, a new life is beginning for the happy couple, the belief that there's someone out there for everyone is renewed…" Betty looked back up at Daniel with a sad smile and said, "It's just nice to be around that kind of magic."

Daniel gazed into Betty's weary eyes and took a deep breath. He conspiratorially looked to his left, then to his right, and when he saw that the hostess was nowhere to be found, he dragged Betty over to the corner and whispered, "We're going to crash that wedding."

"What?" Betty looked up at him in shock.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Daniel said, smiling like a kid in a candy store.

Betty pursed her lips in thought, looking at Daniel with wrinkled eyebrows. She looked over to the crowded dining room where there wasn't one single table open, and then she looked back at Daniel. Her brows softened and a slow, sly smile crossed her face. "All right, I'm in. Let's do it!"

Daniel laughed and grabbed her hand, then quickly pulled her through the door to the reception. The room was alive with laughter and dancing. There was a buffet table set up along the wall with the most delicious smelling pasta dishes you could imagine, along with the traditional wedding foods of chicken, fish, and beef. Daniel spied a banner over the long table at the front of the room saying, "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. George Caprini!" So it was an Italian wedding. Made sense, obviously, since they were in an Italian restaurant. Daniel leaned down to whisper in Betty's ear, "We're a young married couple. I went to school with the groom. Our names are Danny and Betty Lugatzi, got it?"

Betty looked at Daniel in surprise and mumbled, "It sounds like you've done this before."

Daniel gave Betty a wicked grin and winked.

She rolled her eyes at him and started pulling Daniel towards the coat check girl. "You don't make a very convincing Italian, you know that, right?"

Daniel shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Betty as he said, "So my mother was Irish."

Betty laughed and handed their coats to the girl.

"So," Daniel said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together and grabbing a plate. "Where should we start? The ravioli? The lasagna? Or how about some spaghetti and veal?"

Daniel and Betty moved through the buffet line and threw a little taste of everything onto their plates, then searched the room for a round table with no name tags reserving the seats. They finally found it in the back corner of the room, an older couple already occupying two of the seats. Daniel and Betty sat down across from them and smiled at the jovial couple. The man had a very round but kind face and his head was surrounded by short, gray hair, except for the top, which was reflecting the fluorescent lights that were shining down on him. He was wearing a light blue suit with a fat necktie that was much too short. His wife was tiny compared to him, she couldn't have been more than five feet tall. She had a full head of curly, obviously-dyed-red hair and was wearing a conservative pastel yellow dress. The man had an arm around her and they were smiling ear to ear, enjoying the atmosphere of the room. When they saw Daniel and Betty sit down at their table, their smiles got even brighter, if that was possible.

"Hi!" the man said. "The name's Anthony Falustio, and this is my wife Mary. But you can call me Tony, everyone does."

Daniel plastered a smile on his face and said, "Hey. I'm Danny Lugatzi, and this is my little lady, Betty." Daniel glanced at Betty with a smirk and a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Betty gritted her teeth and glared at Daniel, then turned her head and smiled warmly at the couple as she said, "Please excuse my uh… _delightful _husband here. I am not his _little lady_, but I am in fact his adorable and witty wife Betty."

Daniel and the couple laughed.

"You've got yourself a handful with that one, don't you?" Tony said.

Daniel looked over at Betty with admiration and said, "Yes, I certainly do."

Betty blushed as she smiled and looked down at her plate. The couple across the table shared a knowing look and Tony held his wife closer as he kissed her on the forehead.

"So, how long have you two been married?" Daniel asked.

"It'll be 45 years next month," Mary said in a sweet voice, softly caressing Tony's cheek as she smiled at him with every ounce of love that she felt for him.

"How about you guys?" Tony asked.

Daniel looked at Betty and put his arm on her chair. He shared a small smile with her and looked back at the couple as he said, "I guess you could say we're newlyweds."

Tony and Mary smiled at each other, probably remembering their newlywed days. "Come on, babe," Tony said to his wife, "let's dance." He stood up and held his hand out to Mary. The couple walked hand in hand to the dance floor and Daniel watched them with envy. It must be wonderful to have someone love you so much. 45 years and their love was still going strong. Daniel wanted that. He unconsciously looked at Betty. She was picking through her food with the same forlorn expression that she had had at the office all afternoon.

"So…are you going to tell me what happened with Henry?" Daniel prodded.

Betty looked up from her food with questioning eyes. "How could you tell I was thinking about him?"

Daniel shrugged and said, "I just knew."

Betty gave him a half smile and looked back down at her food. She chased a piece of veal around her plate with her fork as she spoke. "He told me that I was the greatest woman that he had ever met, but it would never work out between us." Her voice broke at the end of the sentence.

Daniel moved his arm from Betty's chair to her shoulders and he pulled her towards him to give her a quick hug. Betty chuckled and wiped her eyes.

"He said that someone else was in love with me, and that it was obvious that there's something between me and this other guy," Betty finished.

Daniel started choking on his breath and he pulled away from Betty. His heart was pounding against his ears. Could it be possible? Did Betty really have feelings for Daniel? Did Henry see something that Daniel was too blind to figure out?

"Are you okay?" Betty asked him with a curious expression.

Daniel nodded his head and coughed into his hand once more, then cleared his throat and looked back at Betty.

"Anyway, I told him that it obviously wasn't obvious because I had no idea who he was talking about," Betty continued.

Daniel's shoulders slumped. He had thought that maybe…possibly…no, it had been too much to hope for.

"At that point he just squared his shoulders and then said sorry and kissed me on the cheek, then walked right out of my life." Betty viciously stabbed the piece of veal with her fork and shoved it into her mouth. "I really thought that he was the one," Betty mumbled with her mouth full.

Daniel felt a stabbing pain in his gut at those words. He hadn't known that she felt so strongly for Henry. Daniel sucked in a breath and asked, "So who do you think he meant?"

"I don't know. I thought that he meant Walter, but I never really loved Walter. I mean, I did love him at one point, just…never as much as he deserved to be loved, you know?"

Daniel smiled half-heartedly and nodded. He never liked Walter, to be honest. He always believed that Betty deserved so much better…someone like Henry. Daniel let out his breath and closed his eyes. He shouldn't have hijacked Betty's lunch date with Henry. He knew he was the reason that Henry broke up with her. Betty may be too naïve to see it, but Henry must have picked up on the way Daniel was looking at Betty.

Daniel swallowed hard and opened his eyes, then stood up and held his hand out to Betty. "Come on, babe, let's dance."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Thanks once again for all the reviews, you guys have no idea how happy they have made me! Anywho, you all will probably hate me after this chapter, but I love angst, so it had to be done. And one reviewer asked if Betty was going to end up with Henry, and my answer is no. This is a Daniel and Betty story all the way! I hope that you enjoy this chapter, although many of you will probably want to throw things at me.

* * *

Daniel's whole body tingled as he felt the warm touch of her fingers close around his own. A tiny grin crept across his lips as he lightly caressed her knuckles with his thumb. Betty smiled at him and stood up from her chair, then let Daniel lead her to the dance floor in a very gentlemanly manner. He found an open spot and stopped and guided Betty to stand in front of him, then he dropped her hand. He smiled and straightened his jacket, then bowed to her. Betty laughed and gave him a curtsy, playing along. Daniel choked out a laugh and stood up straight, looking Betty up and down. One thing that he loved about Betty was that she wasn't afraid of having fun. It was nice being around someone who didn't really care what other people thought as long as she was having a good time.

Daniel held his hand out to Betty once more and she took it, this time intertwining her fingers with his own. He suddenly became aware of how much his palms were sweating, hopefully she wouldn't notice. Daniel moved in closer to Betty and placed his free hand on her waist. Betty giggled and placed her hand on his shoulder. That tantalizing smell of her rose shampoo invaded his nostrils again and he couldn't help but think of their moment on the elevator. Those familiar feelings of want started bubbling in his stomach and he was finding it hard to swallow. He was getting nervous, but then he looked into Betty's warm, innocent eyes and a sudden calm came over him. She was the only person in the world who seemed to be able to put him at ease with just a simple look, even when she was the one making him nervous in the first place. Daniel smiled and let out a relieved breath, then started moving with the music.

"Oh my god, I love this song!" Betty shouted with a bright smile.

"Really?" Daniel asked. He had never quite heard a song like the one that was playing. It was kind of a mixture between a slow song and an upbeat one, but he couldn't quite follow the meaning of it. "What's it about?"

"I don't know," Betty replied over the music with a shrug. "It's called Fidelity by some woman named Regina Spektor. I just love how she stretches the word "heart" into so many syllables!"

Daniel laughed and nodded his head to the beat of the song as he spun around the dance floor with Betty in his arms. Betty laughed heartily when Daniel tried to dip her at one point, and then she tripped over his feet. He laughed right along with her and then sent her into an ungraceful spin. When he put his hand back on her waist he pulled her a little closer. Betty was laughing so hard that she hadn't even noticed when the music had stopped. Daniel was taking full advantage of the opportunity to watch Betty without her knowing. Her hair was a tangled mess, her face was flushed from laughing so much, her eyes were full of life, and her smile was absolutely beautiful. _She_ was absolutely beautiful. He had no clue why it had taken him so long to figure that out. Betty's laughter was starting to die down and Daniel pulled her even closer.

Betty moved her hand from his shoulder to his chest. She looked up at him with those glorious brown eyes, and with a smile still lingering on her lips she said, "Thanks for this, Daniel, I really needed it tonight."

A shiver ran down Daniel's spine as Betty's breath had tickled his neck with every word. His eyes involuntarily moved to her luscious lips and he whispered, "No problem." He laid Betty's hand on his chest and moved his own to her waist. He slowly leaned his head towards Betty's, and just when he was close enough to taste the champagne on her breath, she whispered "Daniel…" against his lips. He softly moaned and closed the tiny distance that had still separated them. His senses exploded the second that her lips began to move against his own. He devoured that precious lower lip of hers that she so often bit when she was nervous. Betty let out an encouraging moan and he traced the bottom of her upper lip with the tip of his tongue. Her lips parted and he was able to fully taste how sweet she really was. His tongue was relentless as it explored and danced along with her tongue. It was glorious. It was just him and Betty. Daniel couldn't hear anything except for the soft moans coming from his dance partner, and he could feel nothing but her body pressed so firmly against his own and the heat of her kiss. He never wanted this to end.

Daniel felt Betty push against his chest and she broke the kiss. Daniel leaned his forehead against Betty's as they both struggled to gain control of their breath. When he opened his eyes he saw the look of shock on Betty's face. He straightened up and pulled away from Betty just enough to look into her eyes. Fear. She was afraid. Daniel removed his hands from her waist and stepped back. "Betty…" he said.

Betty started backing away from him as she said, "I gotta go. I just remembered that I have to be…somewhere else." She gave him a false smile and turned around, heading for the door.

"Betty, wait!" Daniel shouted as he went after her.

"No, really, I have to go, Daniel," Betty threw behind her, picking up her pace.

"Well, let me walk with you."

"No thanks, I'll take a cab."

"Then let me pay for the cab," Daniel pleaded.

"Oh, no, that's okay, I've got it covered, but thanks anyway," she answered, grabbing her coat from the coat check girl and making her way to the door.

"Betty!" Daniel said, finally catching up to her and grabbing her arm.

"What, Daniel?" she snapped.

"Shouldn't we…talk about what just happened?"

Betty's eyebrows wrinkled together and she bit her lower lip. "Look, Daniel, nothing happened. Consider it forgotten."

Daniel's heart shrieked in agony at those words. Forget it? How could he? Daniel dropped her arm and looked away from her as he felt a lump invading his throat.

"Well, I really do have to go," Betty said, possibly with a tinge of regret, but that could just be Daniel's hopeful thinking again.

"Great," Daniel grunted in a hard voice. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah," Betty sighed, "I'll see you on Monday."

Daniel watched as Betty turned and walked through the exit. He stared at the door for a long while, then walked over to the champagne table and chugged down a glass of the wondrous liquid, then another glass, then another glass. He glanced around the room and spied a red-headed bridesmaid giving him seductive looks. He chugged down one more glass of champagne, then plastered the old playboy smile on his face and strutted over to the woman, then turned on the reliable Daniel Meade charm that had always managed to get him laid.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you all liked the last chapter! This chapter is extremely short, but hopefully you'll enjoy it!

* * *

"Daniel?"

Daniel stretched groggily and brushed a hand over his face. He opened one eye and surveyed the bright red numbers gleaming on his bedside table. 2:00.

"Daniel?" he heard the voice say again. He vaguely became aware of the warm body pressed against his side and the stiffness in his arm that was wrapped around the body. He glanced down at his chest and saw red hair. The woman that was half way on top of him was still sound asleep, so the voice wasn't coming from her. Daniel pressed a hand to his aching forehead and desperately tried to swallow against the dryness in his mouth and throat.

"Daniel?" he heard again, and then the sound of his bedroom door opening. "I knocked but you didn't answer so I just used my key."

Daniel's eyes popped open and he sucked in a sharp breath when he realized that the voice belonged to Betty. He heard the flip of the light switch and he was momentarily blinded.

"Listen, I was thinking about what happened tonight and I can't just forget…it…"

Daniel's eyes came into focus and he was able to see first the shock, then the hurt, then the anger all cross Betty's face. Daniel disentangled himself from the redhead and slowly sat up, biting back a groan when it felt like a rock had just hit his head.

"Well," Betty said with a shaky voice, "I can see that you've already forgotten it."

"Betty," Daniel croaked, trying to convey with his eyes how sorry he was.

"No, it's…it's okay Daniel," Betty said softly. She looked down at her hands, which were still holding the keys to Daniel's apartment. She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "I don't know what I expected anyway." She looked back up at Daniel and threw up her hands as she said, "I mean look at you! You're Daniel Meade, New York's most notorious playboy. And I'm…" Betty looked down at herself as she struggled to find the words. She finally looked back up at Daniel with teary eyes and said, "I'm me."

"Betty…" Daniel tried again. He had so much he wanted to say, but the words just wouldn't come.

"I should go," Betty whispered. She offered Daniel a quivering smile and left the room.

"Betty," Daniel feebly croaked out again. When he heard the door to his apartment close he got up and ripped the sheet off his bed and wrapped it around his waste. He stumbled out of his room and shook the pain from his head. He had to get to Betty. She had to know that the kiss meant something.

He opened the door and scurried into the hall. "Betty!" he shouted as he saw her get into the elevator. She turned around and stared at him with disappointment in her eyes as the tears fell down her face and the elevator doors slammed shut. "Betty," Daniel whispered again. He faced the wall outside of his apartment and punched it as he said, "Damn it!" His hand throbbed with pain as he laid his head against the wall and let out a desperate sigh. He closed his eyes against the burning tears and remembered the feel of Betty's soft lips against his own. He remembered the paradise that her kiss had sent him to. He remembered the joy of life in her laugh. He remembered the innocence in her smile. And he would always remember the shattered expression on her face just before those doors closed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Wow, what a reaction to the last chapter! Thanks so much for those reviews! So sorry for depressing you all, hopefully this chapter will put a little bit of a smile on your face. Hopefully I can get the next chapter written fairly soon, but I never seem to have control of when the writing bug will hit me! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not quite as serious as the last two.

* * *

Daniel stood in front of the door to Dr. Hue's office and swiped a hand across his scruffy face. He quickly ran his hands through his hair to at least make it look like he had attempted to comb his hair. He looked down at his half tucked in shirt and shook his head. "I'm a mess," he grumbled as he fixed his shirt. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He told the receptionist his name and sat down by a table covered with magazines. He saw a copy of Mode and picked it up. He held it in his hand and stared at the cover as he remembered the late night when he and Betty had been pouring over three different spreads, trying to decide which one was the best cover for this issue. Betty kept telling him to go with this cover, but he kept brushing her off, saying that it wouldn't appeal to the "Mode girl." In the end she had convinced him that it was the way to go, and it turns out that she had been completely right, as usual. Daniel opened the magazine to the credits page, and when his eyes caught the sight of, "Betty Suarez, Executive Assistant," he smiled and lightly brushed a finger over her name. Daniel laughed at his absurd behavior and quickly closed the magazine and threw it back on the table. He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. He was acting like a love-sick teenager.

"Mr. Meade?" said the receptionist. "The doctor will see you now."

Daniel stood up and nodded his head in thanks, then nervously made his way to the psychiatrist's office. He brushed his fingers through his hair once more and then entered the room. Dr. Hue looked up from the notepad that she was writing on and said, "Ah, Daniel! Come in, come in. Sit down."

Daniel obeyed her and gave her a half smile. "Thanks for seeing me again on such short notice, Doctor."

"No problem, sweetheart," she said. "You're Claire's little boy, of course I can make time for you."

Daniel cringed at still being thought of as a little boy, but that's what happens when he goes to the therapist that his mother has been seeing for nearly 30 years.

"How is your mom doing, by the way? I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and pasted on a fake smile. "She's…doing fine." Dr. Hue crooked an eyebrow at Daniel and his smile faded. "Okay, so she's not doing fine. But she's not doing horrible either," Daniel said, trying to sound positive.

Dr. Hue smiled and nodded her head. "So she's being Claire."

"Yeah, pretty much," Daniel said with a chuckle. He was starting to relax.

"So what brings you here on this fine Saturday morning, Daniel Meade?"

Daniel took a deep breath and looked down at his folded hands in his lap. He closed his eyes and the image of Betty and the elevator doors closing drifted through his mind. "Betty," he said.

"What?" asked a bewildered Dr. Hue.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at the doctor with the slightest hint of annoyance. "Betty, my assistant, remember?"

"Ah yes," Dr. Hue said. "The unimportant assistant. _Just Betty_, I believe you called her."

"Yeah, something like that," Daniel said bitterly.

"I take it that she's not as unimportant as you originally thought."

Daniel burst out laughing. "That's the understatement of the century."

Dr Hue's eyebrows popped up in interest and she scooted her chair in closer to her desk, getting her pen and pad of paper ready.

Daniel's laughter died down and was replaced by bitter silence. He felt his eyes getting a tad misty and he looked back down at his hands. "She's important, Dr. Hue…more important than you could ever imagine." He heard the doctor writing furiously on her notepad, and when the writing stopped he looked up at her. "I don't know exactly when it happened, Doctor, but she's not just Betty anymore, she's…well, she's…she's everything."

A slow, knowing smile crept onto the doctor's face. "Do you love her?"

Daniel's eyes widened and his body stiffened. Did he love her? "I don't know," he said.

"Can you imagine your life without her?" Dr. Hue asked.

Daniel leaned back into the couch and relaxed his body. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a world where Betty Suarez didn't exist. He saw himself alone, drifting from woman to woman for the rest of his life, never really trusting anyone, never really caring for anyone but himself, never again experiencing the genuine joy that Betty had brought to his life, never again seeing her beautiful, innocent smile, never again hearing her excited voice, never again feeling pride in himself simply because he had made her proud, and never again feeling her warm body so close to his. It really wasn't much of a world without Betty.

"Daniel?" Dr. Hue asked after the long silence.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked directly at the doctor. And with such conviction in his voice he said, "No."

The doctor nodded and smiled, then she asked again, "Do you love her, Daniel?"

Daniel could hear his heart pounding against his ears. His lungs filled with a tingling air and he unconsciously sat up straighter. He slowly grinned from ear to ear, and more sure of anything than he had ever been in his life, he said, "Yeah…yeah, I do."

"So tell her," Dr. Hue said softly.

Daniel's grin faded and his body deflated. "I can't," he said in tortured voice. He put his head in his hands and whispered, "I screwed up."

"So tell her anyway," Dr. Hue said.

Daniel looked up at her with an incredulous look on his face.

The doctor gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "Tell her, Daniel. She needs to know."

Daniel stared at her with wide eyes for a moment, then nodded his head and sighed. She was right. He had to tell Betty. But what if she didn't feel the same way? What if she would always see him as Daniel Meade the Playboy? What if he lost her forever?

"Daniel," Dr. Hue said, breaking into his thoughts. "_Tell her_. Now."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, thanks again for all the reviews! The reviews keep me going! I'm not so sure that I like this chapter, but I wanted to get an update up, it's been quite a while. I don't know, I'll see what you guys think. Does it leave you wanting more? Or is it just crap?

* * *

Daniel had burst out of Dr. Hue's office confident and determined. He had marched right into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. He had whisked his way through the lobby and zoomed out of the spinning door. He had paused in front of the building to breathe in the fresh morning air and feel the warmth of the sun hit his face. He had walked all the way to Queens with his hands in his coat pockets, bulldozing his way through all the crowds on the sidewalk. He had slowed down as he got closer to Betty's house, but when it came time to walk up those steps, he had just walked right on by. He had kept circling through Betty's neighborhood, each time determined to walk up those steps as he had passed Betty's house, but each time chickening out just as he had approached. He had grabbed a hot dog from the hot dog stand on one of his walks through the neighborhood, and eventually his feet had gotten so tired that he had to sit down on a bench that was a few houses down from Betty's, just across the street. He had sat there all afternoon staring at her house, hoping for a small glimpse of her, knowing that if he saw her even for just a second he would feel like he could do anything in the world. But, of course, he never saw her. He didn't get that boost of confidence that he was so desperately hoping for.

Daniel sighed as he glanced around him and noticed that the sky had turned into a mixture of orange, pink, and blue. He pulled his coat tighter around him as he became aware of the drop in temperature. He stood up, ran both hands through his hair, and forced his feet to make the short journey to Betty's front steps. He slowly ascended the steps and approached the door. He lifted his hand to knock, and paused just before his knuckles could make contact with the door. He stepped back and ran a hand over his face and then whispered, "You can do this, Daniel. You can do this." He walked back to the door, took a deep breath, and finally he knocked.

He heard some excited squeals behind the door and some quick moving footsteps. The door burst open and Daniel was met with the sight of Betty's beautiful, sincere smile. "Hi," Daniel said.

Betty's smile slowly faded, along with the excited gleam that had been in her eyes. "Daniel," she said disappointedly. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Daniel said, almost pleadingly.

"I can't right now, Daniel, I'm kind of busy," Betty said, avoiding his eyes.

"Please," Daniel said softly. Betty looked back at him and must have seen the desperation in his eyes. She gave him a weary sigh and then nodded her head and stood back to let him in. Daniel let out a silent breath of relief as Betty closed the door.

"Daniel?" Hilda said in surprise. She looked over at a disgruntled Betty and said, "What is he doing here?" Betty shrugged her shoulders and motioned for Hilda to leave the room. Hilda put her hand on her hip and looked Daniel up and down suspiciously.

"Hilda! Please!" Betty shouted.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Hilda said dramatically, and she brushed past Daniel as she went up the stairs.

Daniel chuckled softly and shook his head. He looked back at Betty and she stared at him with a frown. They stood in silence for several seconds, then Betty finally turned around and led him to the family room. He could hear the faint sounds of Mr. Suarez cooking in the kitchen and humming a sweet song. Betty pointed to the couch, but Daniel shook his head. He was afraid he'd lose his nerve if he sat down. Betty shrugged and remained standing. She looked at Daniel wearily and crossed her arms, not in an angry manner, but more like she was preparing herself for the worst. Daniel gave her a half smile.

"So, why _are_ you here?" Betty asked, her curiosity and impatience getting the better of her.

Daniel stepped closer to her and rubbed the back of his neck. "Betty, about last night…"

Betty held a hand up and said, "No, Daniel, it's fine. You don't owe me any explanations."

Daniel took another step closer and grabbed her raised hand and softly caressed it. He looked into Betty's confused eyes and said, "Yes…I do." Betty's eyebrows crinkled and she took a small step back. Daniel didn't let go of her hand. He moved in closer to her again and said, "Betty, that kiss. That kiss was… wow." Daniel laughed at his inarticulateness and searched her face for a response. Her eyebrows softened, and he could have sworn he saw the slightest hint of a smile. He stepped closer, just a few breaths away from her lips. "That kiss, Betty… it was unforgettable. And that woman that you saw me with? She was just a poor substitute for you."

Betty emitted a small gasp. "So…what, exactly, are you saying, Daniel?" Betty asked with a shaky breath.

Daniel stepped closer yet again and said, "I'm saying… what I mean is… Betty, I—"

"Hey, Aunt Betty!" called a cheery voice from the hall. Betty jumped away from Daniel and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She cleared her throat and smoothed her dress as her nephew Justin pranced into the room holding a camera. "Henry's waiting for you by the door. He looks really nervous," Justin said with a huge smile.

"Okay," Betty said. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Make it five minutes," Justin said slyly. "It won't hurt to make him sweat a little bit."

"Thank you, Justin," Betty said, shoving him out of the room.

The room had started spinning the second that Daniel had heard the name Henry. He sat down on the couch and fully took in Betty's appearance. Her hair was different. It was pulled up a little on one side just above her ear, a clip adorned with a white flower holding it up. She was wearing a simple black dress, and to his utter shock, sexy high heels. She had on more make up than usual. She was dressed up. For a date. With _Henry_.

Betty turned back around to face Daniel. She gave him an apologetic smile and said, "Well, I better get going."

"Right," Daniel said bitterly, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. "Can't miss your _date_. So I guess you and Henry made up, huh?"

"Yeah," Betty said softly. "This morning."

Daniel pursed his lips and nodded his head as he looked down at his hands. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

A thick silence filled the room for a few moments, and then Betty whispered, "Thanks." He listened to her heels clack against the floor as she made her way to the hall. He heard her happily greet _Henry_, and he heard Betty's father happily meet _Henry_, and he heard Hilda happily approve of _Henry_, and he heard Justin happily snapping a million pictures of Betty and _Henry_. And then, out of the window, he saw the love of his life having a quick embrace with _Henry_. Daniel swallowed hard and tried to ignore the enormous pain he felt in his chest. And when he sighed and closed his eyes, he saw his whole world being taken from him by _Henry._


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks so much for the reviews! I really wasn't feeling the last chapter, but you all made me see that it accomplished what it needed to accomplish. So, now, after all that angst, I thought it was time for some sweetness (with a little angst thrown in of course). Also, this chapter mentions the film _Beaches_ and I haven't actually scene this film since I was about 5 years old, so I remember nothing from it. I tried to keep the references general, but if they don't make sense, just tell me. I'm not one for chick flicks, but I really needed one for this chapter.

* * *

Daniel had somehow found his way back to his apartment that night through the haze that clouded his head. He remembered politely refusing to eat dinner with the Suarez family after they had adamantly insisted that he stay, then he had wandered around Queens and Manhattan for who knows how long, and then suddenly he was opening the door to his loft. Daniel stepped in and looked around at the dark, silent, empty room. He let out a deep sigh and slammed the door shut behind him. He had never felt so alone in his life. In times like these he would have called Betty in a heartbeat, but this time he couldn't, and so he was lost. And miserable. And sick of himself.

Daniel shrugged his coat off and let it fall to the floor. He glanced down at it, knowing that he should hang it up before it got wrinkled, but he just didn't have the strength to care. Instead, he walked over to his refrigerator to look for some comfort food. He groaned when he discovered that his fridge was practically bare save for a carton of yogurt that was three months old. Daniel thought for a moment, then shrugged and mumbled, "Eh, why not?" He grabbed the yogurt and got a spoon and headed over to his TV. Sitting on top of his DVD player was some movie that Betty had lent to him when he was trying to woo Sofia. She had said that _Beaches_ was the ultimate chick flick and having it would show Sofia that he could be a sensitive guy. How a movie about beaches could show his sensitive side he had no clue. Well, if ever there was a time for a sappy old chick flick, this was it. He stuck the movie in and plopped down on the couch. He opened his three-month-old yogurt and shoved a spoonful into his mouth as the opening scene of _Beaches _started to play. Daniel's throat closed up as soon as the sour substance hit his tongue and he instantly spit it back into the carton. "Blech! Ack!" He tried to wipe the taste off of his tongue and he ran to the sink to gargle some water. Then he sat back down on the couch and huffed at the fact that he was even incompetent at being depressed. How was he supposed to binge-eat his sorrows away when all he had was sour yogurt?

…………………………………………………….

Daniel was sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve half way through the movie when he heard a knock on his door. He glanced at his watch and confusion flooded his face as he wondered who would show up at his apartment at 10:30 at night. He paused _Beaches_ and grabbed a tissue on his way to the door. He quickly blew his nose and threw the tissue in the trash, then opened his door. His mouth fell open and he forgot how to breathe for a moment when his eyes were met with the sight of Betty. She was back in her normal attire and was holding her coat in her arms and smiling at him nervously.

"Hi, Daniel!" she said brightly.

Daniel stood there with his hand still on the doorknob and his eyes wide and intent on the woman before him. "Hhhh…" Daniel swallowed and fought hard to get his tongue to work. "Hhhh…umm…hi."

Betty laughed softly and said, "My dad told me that you were acting weird after I left. I wanted to come and check on you to make sure you were okay." Betty eyed him closer and gasped, "Oh my god, have you been crying, Daniel?"

Daniel stepped back and looked away from her hawk-like gaze as he protested, "No! No! Of course not! Why would I be crying?"

Betty stepped into the apartment and closed the door, then threw her coat and purse on a table as she closed in on Daniel. "I know when you're lying, Daniel Meade, so you might as well admit that you've been crying."

Daniel continued to inch away from Betty and his voice got higher as he said, "What? You're crazy, you know that?"

Betty stopped in her tracks and she put her hands on her hips as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. Daniel licked his lips as he felt himself starting to crack under her scrutinizing glare. Then he saw Betty's eyes drift towards the television and a crooked smile appeared on her lips. She looked back at Daniel and said with a pleased smile, "So, you've finally gotten around to watching _Beaches_, huh?"

Daniel let out a laugh and said, "Okay, fine, you caught me. Just don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Betty smiled at him slyly and said, "Oh, don't worry, I won't say a word. I'll just send out a company memo."

Daniel laughed again and shook his head. He raised his eyebrow and lightly said, "I'll just have to fire you then."

Betty chuckled and replied, "No you won't."

"Yeah? What makes you so sure about that?"

"I'm too irresistible. You'd miss me so much you wouldn't get any work done."

Daniel smiled appreciatively at Betty and said, "You're right. I could never survive without you."

"Of course you could. You don't give yourself enough credit, Daniel."

"Neither do you, Betty. You're amazing."

Betty blushed and looked down at her hands.

"So…how was your date with _Henry_?" Daniel asked. He really must love torturing himself.

"It was good," Betty said with a small smile. "He's sweet. I really like him."

Daniel nodded his head, and without looking at her, said, "Great."

"Yeah…" Betty said softly, "Great."

Daniel looked into Betty's eyes and he could tell that something was troubling her. Betty didn't come to Daniel very often with her problems, so he decided not to push her. If she wanted to tell him, she would.

"So," Betty said. "Has Hillary gotten sick yet?"

"What?" Daniel asked, completely confused.

Betty pointed to the TV and said, "On the movie, is she sick yet?"

"Whoa, wait, the rich one gets sick?" said an incredulous Daniel.

Betty rolled her eyes and laughed at Daniel, then grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the couch as she said, "Come on, this movie is better when you watch it with a friend."

Daniel smiled when his nose caught that familiar rose scent of her shampoo as she sat down next to him. And when she cried almost as hard as he did at the remaining scenes of _Beaches,_ and she laid her head on his shoulder, her soft hand in his, he didn't feel so alone anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry I took so long to update, got distracted with job hunting and schoolwork and Blades of Glory… Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Daniel felt a soft tickling on his nose. He wiggled it, trying to get the tickle to go away, but that made it worse. He reached a hand up and sleepily brushed the tip of his nose. Then he caught a soft scent of rose and his body came alive. His neck was stiff, so he automatically tried to rub some life into it with the hand that had been sitting on the armrest of his couch. He let out a groan and opened his eyes. Resting on his chest was a head full of long black hair. _Betty, _a voice whispered in his head. Daniel's arm was wrapped around her shoulders, hugging her body close to his. She was curled up in a semi-fetal position, her arms crossed against her chest, one of her hands on top of his, holding onto his fingers. Daniel relished in the warmth of her body. He closed his eyes and drowned in the sweet smell of her hair and the feel of it against his cheek. He gently hugged her closer to him and let out a contented sigh. He smiled at the rightness of the moment.

Daniel felt Betty stir against his chest and he opened his eyes. He carefully brushed some hair out of her face and slowly, gently ran the back of his pointer finger down her cheek and across her chin. Betty let out a soft moan and dug her head deeper into his chest. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. He couldn't resist touching her soft skin again. This time he used his lips. He carefully leaned his head down and kissed her just below the ear. Betty let out another moan and let go of Daniel's hand. She breathed in deeply and her head fell into Daniel's lap as she straightened her body into a stretch across the couch. She yawned, and then her eyes started to blink into focus. She didn't look at Daniel with confusion or shock like he thought she would have, but instead she smiled at him like it was perfectly natural to wake up in his arms…or lap. An elation filled Daniel's soul. He smiled at her tenderly, brushed a stray hair out of her face, and softly said, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

Betty wiped the sleep from her eyes and smiled as she weakly said, "Hi."

They stayed there in silence for a moment, both locked in each other's eyes, and then Daniel smiled devilishly as he said, "You know, you have really bad morning breath."

Betty laughed and playfully hit his chest. "Yeah, well, you're no field of lilies either, mister."

Daniel chuckled and said, "True."

They fell into a silence once more, and then Betty looked around and her eyebrows drew together. "How exactly did I end up in your lap? The last thing I remember is laying my head on your shoulder to comfort you, and then…nothing."

Daniel laughed and said, "Okay, you weren't comforting me, I was comforting you."

"Yeah, sure. Keep saying that, maybe one day I'll believe you."

Daniel glared at Betty and desperately tried to keep the smile from his face. Betty flashed that irresistible smile at him and innocently shrugged her shoulders. A laugh escaped from Daniel, and Betty sat up, very satisfied with herself. Daniel shivered at the sudden chill his body felt with the absence of Betty.

"Oh my god, what time is it?" Betty suddenly asked.

"Um…" Daniel looked at his watch and said, "9:34."

"Oh no!" Betty said in a panic. She hurriedly put her shoes on and shot up from the couch.

Daniel stood up with her and said, "What? What's wrong?"

Betty brushed past him and grabbed her coat. As she was putting it on she said, "I promised Henry that I'd have breakfast with him this morning."

Daniel's heart fell to his feet. "Oh, really? I was…kind of hoping that you'd go to breakfast with me."

Betty froze in the middle of zipping her jacket and looked at Daniel in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I—I figured it was the least I could do after you came all the way down here. I was feeling pretty low last night, but then you showed up, and… like usual, you made everything better."

Betty's eyes got misty and she smiled at Daniel. It was a smile that let Daniel know how much she really cared for him. It made him feel appreciated, and loved, and worthy. But there was also a tinge of regret in her eyes, and so Daniel knew that she was going to choose Henry over him, and he knew that she always would.

"I'd love to go to breakfast with you Daniel, but Henry…"

Daniel looked away from Betty and nodded his head. He swallowed and said, "I know." Betty finished zipping her coat and she put her purse on her arm. Daniel looked back up at her and said, "Some other time, then?"

Betty smiled and said, "Definitely."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much for the reviews! I am so incredibly sorry that I took so long to update, so many things happened. The Virginia Tech thing was very close to home, so I got distracted by that, and I'm still obsessing over Blades of Glory, and the recent episodes of Ugly Betty haven't been that good, so I was lacking inspiration, but I think that I am now once again in the Daniel/Betty mindset! I am tonight anyway. Hopefully I can get this story finished soon! I hope I haven't lost many readers since I took so long with this update. I do plan on finishing this, you just have to prod me a little bit when I take too long in between updates! Here's the next chapter, you might say that Henry is OOC, but I kind of picture this as Henry "fighting" for Betty (similar to how Betty is kind of going against character in the show by "fighting" for Henry even though he's already taken). And don't worry guys, this is still a Daniel/Betty fic all the way!

* * *

Daniel covered his head with his pillow to try and drown out the incessant buzzing of his alarm clock. After a while he sighed and blindly reached over to his bedside table to turn the alarm off. He took the pillow off of his head and slowly rolled onto his back, stretched with a yawn, and then wiped the sleep from his eyes. He propped himself up on his elbows and squinted against the sun that was filtering through the crack between the drapes. _Monday_, he thought. He sighed again and slammed back onto his soft pillows. He really didn't want to go to work. He didn't want to see how happy Betty was, how happy Henry was making her. He didn't want to have to see their longing looks as Henry dropped Betty off for work and they had to part ways, and he definitely didn't want to see their loving embrace as he came back to get her at the end of the day. Daniel knew that Henry was a chivalrous guy, so of course he would walk Betty to and from work. And Daniel was bound to see them together…every day.

Daniel growled and threw a pillow at the wall. He had nothing against Henry, really. He was a good guy with a good heart. He was perfect, actually. Henry's only real fault was loving the same woman that had worked her way into Daniel's heart, and Daniel couldn't even blame him for that. And the fact that Daniel had absolutely no reason to hate Henry made Daniel hate him even more.

Daniel slowly slithered out of bed and forced himself to get dressed. He decided to eat breakfast on his way to work, hoping that he would be late enough to miss Betty and Henry's morning goodbyes. Daniel entered the Meade building and stepped into an empty elevator, and just as he was pushing the button that would lead him to Mode he heard a voice shouting, "Wait, wait, hold the elevator!" An arm snaked its way in between the closing doors and forced them to open again, then a thin man with glasses stepped into the elevator. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and flashed Daniel a satisfied smile.

"Hi, Henry," Daniel said. It figures that the one day Henry Grubstick is late for work is the exact same day that Daniel went out of his way to be late. Henry's smile faded and he quickly faced the doors. If it was at all possible, Henry's body actually went stiffer than usual. Daniel raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you want me to hit 3?"

Without looking at Daniel he answered, "No, actually, I was going to make a quick stop on the Mode floor."

"Why?" Daniel asked, surprised at the annoyance that was in his voice.

Henry looked down at the plate he was holding, then he looked at Daniel and said, "Betty didn't eat breakfast this morning. She said that she was running late. So I stopped and bought her a donut."

"Well, I can take it to her for you."

Henry laughed and said, "No way." He looked away from Daniel for a moment, took a deep breath, then faced Daniel again and said, "Look… I know that you're in love with Betty."

Daniel choked and said, "What?"

"Don't…don't try to deny it, Mr. Meade. I've seen the way you look at her. It's the same way that I look at her."

"Henry, I don't… Betty's just…" Daniel sighed. He couldn't bring himself to say, "just Betty." He had fooled himself with that lie for so long, but somehow he doubted that he could fool Henry.

Henry nodded his head and said, "I don't blame you."

Daniel laughed bitterly and ran a nervous hand through his hair as he sank into the wall behind him.

Henry faced the doors again and said quietly, "With all due respect, sir… you could never deserve her."

"I know," Daniel agreed with a whisper.

"The Meade life… it's just not Betty."

"I know," Daniel agreed again, his heart sinking down to his feet.

"I could make her happy," Henry said confidently.

Daniel swallowed hard and stared at the slicked back hair of the man in front of him and ground out, "I know."

The elevator reached the Mode floor and a ding sounded as the doors opened. Henry took a step, then stopped and turned his head slightly to say, "I'm sorry."

Daniel closed his eyes and his voice burned against his throat as once again whispered, "I know."

Henry stepped out of the elevator and Daniel watched his robotic movements as he went in search of Betty. Daniel sank down to the floor of the elevator and listened to the doors close. When the elevator made its way back down to the lobby, he stood up and walked out. He went back to his apartment, loosened his tie, and grabbed a bottle of scotch. He flipped open his cell phone and called the first model on his list.

"Hey, this is Daniel… you up for some fun?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for the reviews! Well, I guess I'm in a writing mood this weekend! I think that this is the quickest update that I have ever made. Hopefully you all will like this chapter.

* * *

An alcohol-filled haze clouded Daniel's brain as he lay there holding a beautiful brunette model, and yet he still couldn't get Betty out of his mind. When the model laughed, he thought of Betty's laugh, when she spoke, he heard Betty's voice, and when she kissed him, he felt Betty's lips.

Henry was right. The Meade life was full of empty promises, loneliness, and backstabbing. It was all about image with the Meades. They faked their smiles for the public, and they faked their love for each other. Before Daniel met Betty, he wasn't even sure that a Meade _could_ love anyone. That wasn't a life for Betty. She'd never been insincere about anything in her entire life. She was used to being around people who had no qualms about saying "I love you" and actually meaning it. Everything about Betty was real. He had no doubt in Betty's ability to adapt to his world, but could he make her happy?

The clattering of his cell phone vibrating against his bedside table broke him out of his thoughts. He knew who was calling. She'd been calling him all day. Daniel waited for the phone to stop jumping, then he picked it up. He had ten messages, all from Betty. Daniel held down the button for his voicemail and put the phone to his hear. The panic in her voice increased with each message, until the final one where she just sounded annoyed. Daniel couldn't help but smile as heard her shout, "Where are you Daniel? This magazine is going to fall apart if you don't get your butt in here! I can't do everything, you know! So… please, just…come in."

Daniel sighed and closed his phone. He disentangled himself from the model and went to the bathroom to wash his mouth out. He leaned on the sink and looked in the mirror. He saw bloodshot eyes and swollen lips. There was no doubt that Betty would guess what he had been up to. It was for the best, he supposed. Whatever chance he'd had with her would be gone, and that's how he wanted it. He loved her, but he wanted her to be happy. All Daniel would do is disappoint her. That was the one thing that Daniel could always be counted on for…disappointment. Daniel grimaced at his reflection and looked down into the sink. He finished getting cleaned up then got dressed and headed out the door. He didn't bother to leave a note for the model, he figured that she would get the picture when she woke up and he wasn't there.

The second that Daniel walked out of the elevator Betty attacked him. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea what I've been through today? It's 2:00 and you are just showing up!"

"I know what time it is Betty," Daniel snapped as he walked towards his office with Betty glued to his side.

"Then why weren't you here?"

When Daniel reached his desk and threw his briefcase down, he sighed and said, "Something came up."

Betty put her hands on her hips and eyed Daniel closely. She pursed her lips and said, "Yeah, I'll bet a little something came up."

Daniel looked at her sharply and she rolled her eyes. And there it was. The look. That look of disappointment that he was all too familiar with. The look that told him he was better than this. He looked down at his desk and started mindlessly shuffling papers. "So, what was so important that I just _had_ to come in?"

Betty took a deep breath and said, "We lost a designer today, Daniel, because you weren't here."

Daniel looked up at Betty with panic and said, "What?"

"You remember that meeting that you were supposed to have with Donier today?"

Daniel closed his eyes and said, "Oh… crap."

"You know that Donier hates to be kept waiting, and I stalled for about an hour and then he got angry and left. He said that he had never been so insulted in his life and that he was going to take the premiere of his new designs to _Isabella_, _a magazine that would respect him_."

Daniel sank into his chair and let out another, "Oh crap."

"Yeah."

Daniel put his head in his hands and said, "Well, that's it."

"What do you mean, 'that's it'?" Betty asked worriedly.

Daniel looked up at her and said, "This is what my father has been waiting for. He knew I couldn't do this job. I screwed up, Betty. I'm a disappointment, always have been."

Betty sighed and leaned over Daniel's desk to take his face in her hands. She looked him straight in the eye and said, "Daniel, listen to me. You are NOT a disappointment."

"Yes I am," Daniel mumbled through his squashed cheeks. "I disappoint you all the time, don't I?"

Betty gave him a warm smile and said, "You do disappointing things, yes, but _you_, Daniel, you could never disappoint me." She pulled his head closer to her and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, then she released him. Daniel leaned back in his chair and smiled at the woman in front of him who always knew the right thing to say. Betty smiled back at him and said, "I know you, Daniel. And I know the man that you can be. You just have to believe in yourself."

Daniel nodded in agreement and looked down at his desk. "So what are we going to do about this Donier thing?" He looked back up at Betty with hope in his eyes.

Betty picked up the phone on his desk and handed it to him. "First, you're going to call Donier and apologize for missing the meeting. Then, you're going to convince him that we have such a brilliant layout for his stuff that he would be a fool not to premiere his new collection in Mode."

"And how am I going to convince him of that?" Daniel asked doubtfully.

Betty smiled slyly and said, "Use that playboy charm that you're so famous for."

Daniel laughed. He looked down at the phone and dialed the number for Donier. He stared at Betty as he waited for Donier's people to pick up the phone. Betty had a way of making Daniel feel like he could accomplish anything in this world, and because of her, he could.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews! So sorry for the long break between updates. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter! It's short, I know, that's something that I have to work on, but I seem to only be able to write in little flashes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"They won't let me talk to him," Daniel said, staring in shock at the phone in his hand.

"What, are you serious? His assistants flatly turned down the editor-in-chief of Mode?" Betty said, aghast.

Daniel let out a small, bitter laugh, then said, "Yeah." He hung up the phone and turned his desperate eyes to Betty. "So what do I do now?"

Betty sighed and said, "Keep calling. Tie up their phone lines. If you bug them enough, they might put you through to Donier."

"Right," Daniel said, not quite as confident as he had been after Betty's previous pep talk.

"If you want, I could do the calling for you. It might take all afternoon."

"No, that's okay, Betty. This is my mess, I can fix it."

"Really?" Betty said, disbelieving.

Daniel scoffed and said, "Yeah, really. I _am_ capable of taking care of myself, you know."

"Hmm, you could have fooled me," Betty said with a straight face, but Daniel saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Daniel grinned and said, "I did survive the first 32 years of my life without you."

"_True_, but… you'd be lost without me, just admit it," she said, smiling.

Daniel's grin faded and he gazed into her brown eyes as he said, "I would... be lost without you, Betty."

Betty rolled her eyes and said, "I was just joking, Daniel."

"I know," he replied, "but it's true."

Betty smiled with a blush and looked down at her notepad. "You really should get started on those calls, Daniel."

"Yeah, right, right. Do you think you could start coming up with some ideas for a new layout for the Donier collection? I just think we need something… bigger than what we had planned. Something that'll blow him away."

Betty smiled and said, "I'll get right on it!" She exited the office with a skip in her step and she sat down at her desk with an excited smile.

Daniel sighed. He watched Betty for another moment, then he finally picked up his phone and started on his grueling task.

………………………………………………………………

Four hours and 35 phone calls later, he had finally been put through to Donier. By some miracle he had managed to get the moody man to agree to another meeting. When Daniel gingerly hung up the phone, he let out a deep breath and loosened his tie. He sank into his chair and he looked out the circular window of his office. He felt a wide smile appear on his lips when his eyes found Betty. Betty looked up from her computer screen, and when their eyes connected, she gave him that glorious smile, and he heard her shriek excitedly as she jumped out of her chair. She burst into his office and said, "Oh my god, you got him to say yes?"

Daniel laughed and nodded his head.

Betty shrieked again. "See? I knew you could do it, Daniel!" Betty rushed around the desk and Daniel stood up. She clasped her arms around his neck and Daniel pulled her body to his. It was a quick, excited, congratulatory hug, and Daniel was grateful for the contact, even if it was short-lived.

When they pulled apart, Betty looked at him with that smile that made his soul soar. It was his favorite smile. The one that said that she was proud of him. The one that said that he had actually done something right. The one that she reserved just for him. Daniel stared at her lips, and he felt himself slowly leaning in towards Betty. His heart was pounding against his chest like hooves on a racetrack. He had never had such a strong urge to kiss anyone in his entire life. He was just a few breaths away from her lips when a knock on the open door caused Betty to jump away from him.

"Uh, Betty?" said a voice that Daniel had come to detest. "You ready to go?"

Daniel couldn't keep the grimace from appearing on his face. He watched Betty, her cheeks flushed, nervously glancing between him and Henry, not able to meet either of the men's eyes. Daniel cursed under his breath, then he pasted on a fake smile and said, "It's okay Betty, you've worked hard today, you can go."

Betty gave him a brief thankful look, and Daniel gave her a curt nod. He watched her grab Henry's hand and lead him to her desk. Henry stood behind Betty as she gathered her things, and then he turned Betty around and planted a surprise kiss on her lips. Daniel felt a stabbing pain in his chest as he watched Betty wrap her arms around his neck and press her body a little closer to Henry's. When they broke apart, Daniel caught the look that Henry had quickly flashed him through the window. It was a look that told Daniel that he could never have her.

Daniel sighed and sank back into his chair, and as he watched Betty and Henry walk to the elevator arm in arm, he felt empty.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for those reviews! You have no idea how big of smile you guys put on my face! Okay, this next bit should have been put on the previous chapter, but I didn't even think to come up with it until this afternoon, so that's why it's a whole new chapter. I hope you all don't mind! Enjoy!

* * *

"Ugh," Daniel heard a familiar voice say. "Nerd love is so disgusting." Amanda sauntered into Daniel's office wearing a grimace that matched his own. She held a piece of paper out to Daniel and said, "Here, Betty asked me to give you this. Apparently she can't spare one second away from her dork in shining glasses."

Daniel felt a giggle escape from his mouth. One thing he had always liked about Amanda was that she was good for a laugh. Daniel took the paper from Amanda and saw that it was a list of Betty's ideas for the new Donier layout. Not surprisingly, they were all great ideas, perfect even… just like the woman who came up with them. Daniel scoffed and pushed the paper aside. He looked up at Amanda and tried to remember what had gone wrong between them. He never took her seriously, he talked about other women around her, and he never really listened to her. God, he was a jerk.

"I'm sorry, Amanda," he said.

Amanda's face clouded with confusion as she said, "What?"

"I'm sorry… for the way I treated you when we were…" Daniel cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Oh," Amanda whispered, shock now etched on her face.

"You deserve better than that, Amanda. I was just too stupid to realize it."

Amanda's face softened, and she gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Daniel smiled back at her and nodded his head.

Amanda took a step closer to Daniel and nervously knotted her hands as she said, "You know, we could always give it another chance… try a real relationship."

Daniel looked at Amanda, really looked at her. Her smile didn't speed up his heart rate, her scent didn't set his body on fire, and her eyes didn't make him feel like she could see into his soul. He could never love her.

"I'm sorry, Amanda, I can't. My heart wouldn't be in it, and that wouldn't be fair to you."

Amanda bit her lip and looked away from Daniel, nodding her head. "I know," she said. After a moment, she looked Daniel in the eye and said, "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"Who?"

Amanda laughed bitterly and rolled her eyes as she bit out, "Betty."

Daniel swallowed nervously and said, "Is… is it that obvious?"

"Only to the people who pay attention," she said.

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Amanda sheepishly.

"You're going to lose her to that Henry guy, you know, if you don't do anything."

"What am I supposed to do?" Daniel asked desperately.

"Tell her," Amanda said.

"It's not that easy."

Amanda rolled her eyes and sighed, then said, "Get some balls, Daniel, and just tell her already!" With that, she flicked her hair off of her shoulder, put a hand on her hip, turned around and sashayed out the door.

Daniel sat there with his mouth hanging open. He sighed and stared at the clock on the wall. He listened to the seconds ticking away, Amanda's words echoing in his ears. She was right, he had to tell Betty. He had tried letting go of her for one day, and it almost killed him. He couldn't keep having days like that. He could make her happy, he could evoke her passion, he could give her everything she wanted… he knew he could. And even in the Meade limelight she could still be Betty, somehow. She would find a way. He had to tell her.

Daniel gathered his things together and walked to the elevator with the full intention of marching over to Betty's house. As he pushed the button for the lobby, he felt some of his determination slipping away from him. The closer the elevator got to the lobby, the more nervous Daniel became. By the time he got into his town car he didn't feel an ounce of confidence, and he found himself telling the chauffer to take him home. As he lay in bed that night, he decided it was best that he wait a few days. And when he closed his eyes and saw Betty's beautiful smile, he cursed himself for not having any balls.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** I just want to thank everyone who has been reviewing this story, especially months after there haven't been any updates. You all kept this story from being thrown to the wayside for good, so I am eternally grateful to you guys for that. It's been ages since my last update and the show is completely different from when I started this fic, but hopefully the story is still enjoyable and believable. I will be shocked if anyone is coming back to this story after 6 months of no updates, but if you are, you are all kinds of awesome. My love for Ugly Betty had been missing this season, but after the last few episodes my faith in Daniel and Betty has returned, so I am determined to write an ending for this fic.

* * *

It had been three months. Three tortuous months of Daniel watching Betty and Henry happily leave Mode every day arm in arm. Three months of Daniel wanting to tell Betty his feelings but not letting himself. Three months of watching someone else make her happy. She was happy, and Daniel just couldn't bring himself to ruin that. So he started distancing himself from her. And he missed her… god, how he missed her. There were no more late night pep talks or crazy stories about the Suarez family. No more proud smiles meant just for him. In fact, now more than ever, she was simply just his assistant. She was just Betty. So when she came into his office that night wearing her coat and purse and an apprehensive expression, he was surprised, but grateful nonetheless for getting to spend another second with her.

Betty stared at him, biting her lower lip, her hands fidgeting. Finally she said, "Daniel?"

Daniel smiled slightly and said, "Yes, Betty?"

She let out a deep breath and sat in the chair in front of his desk. "Look, I know things have been weird between us lately, and I'm not exactly sure why, but… I miss you."

Betty looked at him with such sincerity in her eyes that he felt a lump in his throat. It meant the world to him, those three words. _I miss you_. He was important to her. Daniel looked away from her and quietly said, "I miss you, too." He glanced back at her and saw a small smile on her lips, and she wiped at a few tears that had escaped her eyes.

"There's so much that I've been wanting to tell you, but you've just been so… distant," Betty said.

"I know," he replied apologetically.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

Daniel could see the hurt in her eyes. The last thing that he had wanted to do was hurt Betty. Suddenly he felt like the biggest jerk in the world. He had been telling himself he was doing this for Betty, but in reality, he had been avoiding her to protect himself. He never once thought about how withholding his friendship would affect her. "I'm sorry," he said.

Betty looked confused. That obviously hadn't been an answer that she was expecting. "Sorry for what?"

Daniel shrugged and said, "For being… distant. You didn't do anything wrong. I've just been going through some stuff."

"Why didn't you say anything, Daniel? I could have helped you."

"Not—not with this."

Betty bit her lip again and looked down at her hands. She was still hurting.

Daniel sighed and said, "So… what's going on with Justin?"

Betty looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "Justin?"

"Yeah, Justin. I miss hearing about the little guy. He's a pretty awesome kid."

Betty smiled. One of those big smiles that he hadn't seen in what seemed like an eternity. "Justin's really excited about starring in his school's performance of High School Musical."

Daniel laughed and asked, "High School Musical?"

Betty waved her hand and said, "Yeah, it's just this crazy movie on the Disney Channel where a bunch of teenagers randomly break into song. Definitely a realistic portrayal of high school."

Daniel laughed. "Well, I'm happy for Justin."

"I am too," Betty said with a smile. A silence fell over them as Betty looked down at her hands again. Quietly she said, "So, uh… Henry asked me to marry him last night." She looked up at him to gauge his reaction.

Daniel just sat there, frozen, stunned. He didn't know how he was supposed to respond to that. His heart was hurting, _that_ he knew. In all honesty he had been expecting that this day would come, just not so soon. "Did you say yes?" he heard his voice ask, almost unrecognizable to his ears.

Betty's eyes avoided his as she said, "Not yet."

"So you're _going_ to say yes?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

Daniel looked at her with wrinkled eyebrows. She wasn't making sense. He thought that she would say "Yes," in a heartbeat.

"He wants to move back to Tucson, his mother is sick. He wants to take me with him. Says he can't live without me."

The room started to spin. He felt like everything he lived for was about to be ripped from him. Betty being married to someone else was bad enough, but to have her gone from his life completely? That was unfathomable. But what could he say? "Don't go," he whispered.

"What?"

Daniel looked into her eyes. "Don't go. Don't say yes."

"But…"

"Your life is here, Betty! Your family, your job… your friends." He looked away from her for a moment and took a deep breath. "You'll never find a job like this in Tucson, Betty, you can't just put your dreams on hold for the guy."

"But what if I love him?" she asked in a small voice.

He looked down at his desk and asked, "Do you love him?" When he got no response, he looked up at her. She was wringing her hands together again and her lip was quivering a little bit. She didn't know how to answer him. Daniel leaned in closer to catch her eye and asked once again, "Betty… do you love him?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Daniel's head fell to his desk and he fought the hurt that was running through him. He had to be strong. He only wanted her happiness. He took a deep breath and looked back up at Betty. It killed him to say it, but he had to. "Then… you should follow your heart, Betty. Do what's best for _you_, don't think about anyone else."

Betty reached over the desk and grabbed his hand and squeezed it as she gave him a tear-filled smile. "Thank you, Daniel."

"You're welcome," he whispered.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **And so this story comes to an end. I can't believe it, but it happened. I have all of you wonderful reviewers to thank for that, because if it wasn't for you guys, I probably would have stopped after chapter 10. And thank you so, so much for all the reviews of my last chapter! I couldn't believe how strong of a response I got after having been MIA for so long. You guys are the greatest readers anyone could ever ask for. You gave my ego a much needed boost, and the inspiration to finish this puppy. I can't thank you enough! And now for the cheesy ending, because I'm a huge cheese ball.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, staring at the empty chair in front of his desk. He felt numb. Betty was leaving. Tucson. Henry. Love. She had hesitated when he asked her if she loved him. That's something she should have known without a doubt, right? So why did she hesitate?

Daniel tore his eyes away from the chair and ran his hand through his hair as he let out a deep sigh. Betty didn't belong in Tucson, it just wasn't right. She belonged by Daniel's side, cheering him on, showing him the right path, being proud of him, and crying on his shoulder when things got too hard for her to handle on her own. He needed her, and he was pretty sure she needed him too. She didn't belong in Tucson.

Daniel shook his head, then he stood up and put on his jacket. There was nothing he could do. If she wanted to marry Henry and run off to Tucson, then that was her choice to make. But… could he let her do that? Just let her go? Maybe it was time to listen to his own advice. _Follow your heart_. His heart was begging him to find Betty and tell her everything that he'd been bottling up for the past three months. And it was trying to make him believe that that would make a difference, that maybe she'd stay if she knew how Daniel felt. What did he have to lose?

Daniel walked out of his dark office and stopped in front of Betty's desk. He picked up her mangled stuffed bunny and laughed. It was a total mess but she loved it anyway. He couldn't let this woman walk out of his life forever. No matter how much he tried to tell himself that she'd be better off with Henry, he just couldn't believe it anymore. He had to tell her.

---------------------------------------------

The town car pulled up in front of the Suarez home and Daniel took a deep breath. This was it, no turning back now. He stepped out of the car and wrapped his coat around him tighter. He walked up the steps to the porch, and he slowly reached his fist up to knock on the door. His heart was going wild in his chest as he heard footsteps getting closer from behind the door. When it opened, his breath caught in his throat.

"Daniel? What are you doing here so late?" asked Betty, hugging her arms to her chest to shield herself from the cold.

Daniel was silent. He was trying to get his voice to work, but it didn't want to cooperate with him. He looked away from Betty and took another deep breath.

"Daniel?" asked Betty again, this time unable to hide her concern.

Daniel looked back at her and blurted, "Don't go. Don't say yes."

"What?"

"Don't go to Tucson," Daniel said, his eyes pleading with her.

"Oh, Daniel, I—"

"No, Betty, listen. Don't go to Tucson, don't say yes to Henry."

"Daniel, I—"

"I'm in love with you, Betty." Daniel held his breath, waiting for her to respond. She just stood there wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open. He couldn't take the silence, so he went on. "You give me… the greatest reason to live, Betty, and I can't just let that kind of gift leave me forever."

"Daniel, I—"

"No, just… let me finish before I chicken out. I love you Betty… and I know that on paper it looks like we don't belong together, but my heart says otherwise."

He saw a hint of a smile on Betty's lips. He felt his chances getting stronger.

"I love you Betty, that's the only thing in my life that I've ever been completely sure of." He grinned as he continued, "And to borrow a phrase from one of those cheesy chick flicks you gave me, 'You make me want to be a better man.'"

Betty choked out a laugh and said, "_As Good as it Gets_ isn't cheesy, it has Jack Nicholson."

Daniel shrugged and said, "Well, Jack Nicholson did up the cool factor, but it was still cheesy."

Betty smiled as she shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. "Are you finished now? Can I say what I was trying to say?"

Daniel stepped closer to her and said, "Mmm… no. There's still one more thing." He grabbed Betty's waist and pulled her in for a soft, lingering kiss. He wanted this one to last, because it could be the last time that he would ever get to taste her lips again. He soaked up her strawberry lip balm and pulled her closer as he felt her melt into his arms. When she kissed back, he could have sworn that she was in love with him. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. "Now I'm done," he whispered. He dropped his hands from Betty's waist and stepped back, waiting for her reaction, waiting for that inevitable rejection.

Betty cleared her throat and nervously brushed a stand of hair behind her ear. She looked at Daniel and said, "I already told him no."

"What?" Daniel suddenly forgot how to breathe. He couldn't believe it, wouldn't let himself believe it.

Betty laughed lightly and said, "Daniel, I've been trying to tell you. I'm not going to marry Henry. You told me to follow my heart, and it just wasn't with him."

Daniel felt himself smile as he asked, "It wasn't?"

"No… it wasn't." Betty took a long pause, and then said, "It was with you Daniel, it _is_ with you. Always has been. It just took me awhile to realize it."

Daniel laughed. He couldn't stop the giddy feeling that decided to run through him. Betty Suarez was in love with Daniel Meade, and that was all the knowledge that he needed to survive in this world.

Daniel grinned as he stepped closer to Betty and said, "What do you say we go crash another wedding?"

Betty flashed him that glorious smile that he loved so much, and he knew right then and there that she was the woman that he would spend the rest of his life with.


End file.
